Whispering Fingertips
by Blood Red Wine
Summary: Alternate ending to You Said You Would Never Leave Me, I Believed You. L has not died, Matsuda falls in love again, Ellie deals with being pregnant and a horrible secret that has been lurking about her own parents. please r and r Do not own DN.
1. Leave the Pieces

_**Chapter 1: Leave the Pieces**_

_Sorry it has taken so long for me to get back to you guys with an alternate story to You said you would never leave me. I've been working hard on writing my novel and I've finished it early so I am catching up on my fanfics now. I hope you guys enjoy this, and if you just finding this story now I suggest you read the story You said you would never leave me, I believe you because it is the story that gets everything ready for this one. This is an alternate ending to You said you would never leave me. It picks up after chapter 13 of the previous story and continues as if L had never died. You said you would never leave me will still continue, but this story will be coming along as well and I'm hoping to have them finished about the same time. _

L saw the hallway split. He could go into the investigation room and possibly walk into this death, he knew that was always chance of that, but he never knew what he was going to have at stake. He could stay upstairs and walk into Ellie's room. He could pack up his whole life and leave. He could take Watarai's advice and leave. He would never be able to look back after that point, and that scared him.

He chose the doorway into Ellie's room. He opened the door as she had been about to exit and caused her to fall on her butt in shock. She had not expected someone to be on the other side of the door. She looked up into L's face with shock.

"We need to go," L said.

Ellie's mouth just gaped. "What?" Ellie said as if she hadn't heard what he said or was too shocked to be completely, comprehending what he was saying.

"Each moment we are here there is more chance that something could go wrong, horribly wrong," L said.

"You're leaving the Kira case?" Ellie said confused. He was the one with the most in the case, it was like his full life, she didn't understand why having a baby was going to change that. Many of the other members had children as well, and they chose the case over them.

"Why?" Ellie said as she finally picked herself up off the floor.

"I think your life might be in danger as well as the life of an unborn," L said.

"So?" Ellie said looking him in the eye. "What makes me so different from the others?"

"I can't kill my own child, Ellie, Chief Yagami would tell you the same thing when it is discovered that Light Yagami is Kira. It's not logical." L said as he finally thought about what he had said. He wasn't thinking logically at all. He had hidden himself for so long that this time was not unlike the others. He stayed away from the danger if he could, and he found that pawns did a much better job in his place. He manipulated it was his way, but this was different. This was genuine concern for the life of an unborn child and its carrier.

Neither person saw the being floating above them, the overseer in this conversation. Rem had been watching Ellie for many days. Something was not right about the girl. She also noticed that something was different about L too. She was wondering if she could kill him after seeing this. This didn't fare well for Misa, but destroying Ellie's life didn't seem much better. This choice would have its consequences, but she decided to confront Ellie. She wanted to know what power this seemingly normal human woman, possessed and how she had been associated with deaths that she had nothing to do with physically.

"Tonight, be ready," L said as he left the room. He couldn't just walk out on the team now, he couldn't leave things broken like that. He had to do something, fake his own death if he had to. He would start over. He would be more careful, he wouldn't get mixed up with the criminals and he would certainly not mess around with the team members. He planned on working alone anyway, possibly including Ellie when she wasn't being an incubator for a child, but he knew things changed after having children and she wouldn't be the person he could depend on to be just as strange and stubbornly attempt things that could put her life in danger just to keep other's safe. No she had another person to take care of who would depend on her fully. He wondered what that was like. He couldn't remember. Nevertheless he had to chase these thoughts from his mind and leave the room to get his plan out in the air.

Ellie got ready to leave when she was approached by the shinigami.

"What is L planning?" Rem asked.

"Couldn't tell you, I never know," Ellie said looking suspiciously at Rem. Ellie began to make her way for the door.

"Is it true that you love him?" Rem asked.

"Yes," Ellie said before slipping into the hallway.

Rem understood what it meant to be in love with someone who could kill. She also knew she wouldn't be the only death god to die for a human. She knew she would have to kill, lest Misa live with a shortened life. She had planned on taking down both Watarai and L, but now something pulled at her conscience. Death gods, rarely have consciences, but Rem felt a pull to help Ellie out. L obviously wasn't going to hurt anyone, he needed to protect his family, this she could already see. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but she pulled out her notebook.

And the whole situation played out. Watarai died and L fell soon after Watarai's death. Ellie tried to revive L, and then gave a time of death. Special paramedics were called and L was taken off. Ellie stood in shock as she watched his body being put on the stretcher. She gave the paramedics the time and they nodded and said they would try to revive him as well, but with how long he was out there wasn't much hope of him coming back.

Ellie was catatonic. She felt immense pain tearing in body apart it felt. She looked at L's cell phone that was sitting on the ground. It must have fallen out of his pocket. She put it in her pocket and walked upstairs. She didn't want to be around the team members right now.

The phone rang in her pocket several minute later. Her hands shook as he pulled it out of her pocket. She didn't recognize the number so she picked up hastily.

"Hello?" Ellie asked.

"I'm here, Ellie," L said on the other side of the line.

Ellie dropped the phone. She had felt his heart stop. She knew he was dead, he hadn't had a pulse. Was she going crazy? She picked up the phone again. "If this is some kind of sick joke so help me I will," Ellie began to say.

"This is no joke Ellie. L Lawliet is dead, this is true, but I'm alive." L said.

"Who are you?" Ellie said her breath being taken from her.

"Laurent Wakatasuki," he said on the other line.

Ellie recognized the surname. Watarai had used it as his alias to meet her, Joseph Wakatasuki.

"Ellie, listen to me, you are in danger. Light is Kira. You are in danger if he ever finds out about that baby. He will kill both of you. Its already certain that there is something strange about you Ellie, not everyone sees it, but Light is intelligent enough to come to the conclusion." L said.

"I understand, time is of the essence," she said as she walked into the investigation room.

"What does that have to do with anything?" L said on the other line becoming more confused by the minute.

"I don't know," Ellie said with indecision. She already knew what she was going to do. She just hoped L would go along with it.

"Ellie, what are you thinking," L said the smirk almost being able to be heard over the phone line.

"Life is too short and I've made my decision. I accept your proposal Laurent. I will marry you," Ellie said.

Matsuda dropped the glass he was drinking from. Ellie hung up the phone not letting L have a chance to speak again. She looked up at the team members.

"Ellie do you even know what your doing?" Matsuda asked

Ellie nodded. She was having a high at this point. She wasn't on any type of drug it was like a high on life. Her emotions had been a complete rollercoaster all day and now she was ending it like this. She almost wanted to just cry and break down but then part of her wanted to just laugh until she cried. Either way she knew this would end in tears.

"Matsuda let her do what she wants," Chief Yagami said. "Who knows how long we all have to just live. I'm going to home to spend a week with my family uninterrupted. I will document this, hopefully if we don't make it someone will be able to take up where we left off."

Matsuda nodded. He watched Ellie go up the stairs. The door slammed and there was complete silence. Then the crying started. The howling of painful overloads of emotions sounded as if a pillow was muffling them. Matsuda almost jumped out of his skin. He wanted to go up and make it stop, not because it was scaring the shit out of him but because it actually made him hurt to hear her in so much pain. He got up out of his seat, but Chief Yagami stopped him.

"It's hard on all of us Matsuda, but she needs this. She is coming to terms with what we all risked in this, our lives."

Matsuda could do nothing but listen. It eventually muffled out completely but the first sound of it still resonated in his mind. He felt a chill come over his bones. There was nothing he could do. He was going to die too, but he was amazingly numb. He let the numbness overcome him.

Ellie left the next morning to go to Watarai's funeral.

"Where are you going?" Aizawa said.

"Memorial service," Ellie said. "Hence the all black, the puffy eyes, and Kleenex pocket packet."

Mogi and Matsuda nodded. She exited out the door. Matsuda got up and ignored the shaking of Chief Yagami's head.

"Ellie," he said walking into the garage.

"Yes," Ellie said poking her head out of the window.

Matsuda thought hard about what he wanted to say. He wanted to beg her not to go out and get married. Would he ask her himself? What would she think of that? She obviously wasn't in her right mind if she was thinking of getting married so quickly. He held his tongue, however. This was her choice and she needed to make it herself. He had his chance, but he had decided to wait and it seemed he had waited too long to ask her for even a date.

"Do you want me to drive you there?" he asked.

"No I'll be fine Matsuda, I'm meeting Laurent afterwards and we are making preparations for the wedding," Ellie said.

Matsuda cringed. He thought that after a funeral would be a bad time to be planning a wedding. It was like a kick in the gut to be turned down for her fiancé, but he wasn't surprised.

"Are you going to be inviting anyone on the team to your wedding," Matsuda asked.

"Yeah probably, if they want to go," Ellie said. "It's going to be really small Matsuda."

Matsuda nodded. "Well, I would like to go if you want to invite me."

"All right Matsuda," Ellie said starting her car finally. "I'll invite you."

Ellie began to pull away and Matsuda waved at her. Ellie stopped for a moment. "Actually Matsuda would you mind driving me to the airport?"

Matsuda nodded and got in the car. Ellie scooted over into the passenger seat. She had an overnight bag packed in the backseat.

"Where is the funeral?" Matsuda asked.

"Its in Britian, that's also where Laurent lives ironically enough," Ellie said.

Matsuda nodded. He didn't really want to talk about Ellie's fiancé. "Where do you plan on having the wedding?" Matsuda asked.

"Not sure yet, maybe in Japan just so I can finish off my last semester in college before I transfer." Ellie said.

"So you are going to live in Japan for a little bit longer?" Matsuda asked.

"Yeah he inherited a home in Britian, but we will probably rent an apartment in Japan so I can finish college for this year," Ellie said.

Matsuda nodded. He hated this Laurent more and more by the minute. The drive to the airport didn't take all that long.

Ellie hugged Matsuda to the point where she almost squeezed him in half. Matsuda was having trouble breathing but he held her close anyway.

"Sorry you must think I'm losing my mind," Ellie said blushing and pulling away from him.

Matsuda gave her a questioning look. Ellie's eyes welled up with tears. She should be happy because L was alive and he was going to be with her, but she felt emptier than she ever had. Her life had never turned out as expected. She thought she would be with her adopted parents for the rest of her life, but they died when she was seven, she thought she would always have her name to connect her to her mother and she had lost that identity when she was 16, she had wanted to finish college but now she was going to get married and have a baby, and she wanted to fall in love before she got married and had sex, but she still wondered if she was really in love with L or not. She wanted to believe she was in love with L because then she would still have something, but after the stunt she had pulled the night before there was no way he could ever love her for making him marry her like that. She had lost every good person she had ever had in her life.

She got into the airport and told Matsuda he could leave. She pulled a Kleenex out of her pocket and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She was going to have to get another pocket pack when she got to Britian. "Matsuda can you take the station wagon back to the building I don't want it taking up room in the parking lot," Ellie said.

Matsuda left the airport and drove back to the building with Ellie's station wagon. He walked back into the building and sat down. He hadn't missed much. Chief Yagami and Light were packing up their things. Mogi seemed to have left already. Matsuda walked upstairs and looked in Ellie's room. Everything was the same way it had been, though he hadn't been in the room itself. Usually he just peeked in the door from time to time. He didn't want to seem like a stalker though. He finally walked into the room after standing in front of the door for several moments.

He didn't feel right being in her room without her here. He felt like he was invading her privacy or something like that. He walked into the bathroom. He didn't see much out of place. He saw a box on the floor and picked it up. Everything made sense to him at that moment.

"Ellie is pregnant," he said falling to his knees. He knew that this was obviously the reason for getting married so soon. She wanted to have someone to help her raise the baby. He wondered how she had gotten pregnant. They hadn't found any semen in the vaginal cavity after her attack. She had obviously been messing around though, he wasn't sure with whom.

"It was probably that Laurent guy," he whispered to himself again as if anyone could hear him. "She obviously knew him pretty well and he had wanted to marry her anyway so they have probably been messing around for a while. She probably just found out she was pregnant and this whole thing with the deaths of Watarai and L were just a coincidence."

He felt like Ellie had betrayed him though he knew that she was entitled to sleep with whomever she chose. He just had this theory in his mind that she had been cleaner than that. It was a stupid thought he realized. He needed to let this go and move on. He could finally just stop wishing and wondering if he had a chance and just move on with his life.

He left the room feeling more full than he had before he had entered it. He felt like he finally understood everything. It would be his secret it was obvious Ellie didn't want it publicly known. He began to pack up his own things. He would get an apartment too. He would return to the regular police force. Chief Yagami was already offered his place back and Matsuda was certain for a while things would go back to the way they had before. Everything would grow familiar again and things could heal like they should.

Ellie didn't recognize L when she was in the waiting room of the airport. He had dyed his hair brownish red that almost matched her own hair color and he had gotten some sleep recently. The circles that were once under his eyes were gone and his skin had tanned just slightly. He was still pale in all respects of the word, but he looked healthy.

"You are a very sly one Ellie Johnson," Laurent said approaching her. "I am here to escort you to Watarai's memorial service."

Ellie nodded. He held her hand as they walked out of the airport. A few passing people smiled at the awkward couple. "We look like siblings," Ellie said to him quietly. "Could you have picked some other color to dye your hair?"

"This color hides my identity the best unless you wanted to be marrying a blonde," he said matter of factly.

Ellie contemplated that and then shook her head. "Nah, this is much better than blonde."

"I thought you might think that," Laurent said.

Laurent opened the car door for Ellie. She blushed. She wasn't used to this and knew that it was obviously for show. They were engaged now. They were now acting the part.

"Nice car, I wasn't aware you could drive," Ellie said when Laurent got in the driver's seat.

"You didn't think Watarai drove me everywhere did you?" Laurent questioned.

Ellie was taken aback by his newfound ease with conversation. Usually he was very quiet and manipulative, but with his hair color went that. He was still awkward in every sense of the word, but he didn't act so awkward around her anymore.

"Almost dying sure changes a person," Ellie said looking over at him. "How exactly did that happen, you coming back to life I mean."

"I couldn't' tell you," Laurent said. "I have never believed in miracles until that moment." he said. "I felt the chest and arm pain associated with a heart attack and they paramedics were surprised they could revive me. They said that it was brought on by stress or something in my life and they thought it would be best if tried to take a break from whatever activity had brought on my heart attack. I got a chance to start over just as Watarai said I should." Laurent said.

"You suffered a mild heart attack?" Ellie questioned. She had heard of such things happening, they actually were pretty common place anymore, but usually with the person being without air and heart beat as long as he was she was sure that some damage had to have occurred. She thought the stress probably did have something to do with it, but sweets surely didn't help.

"Yes," Laurent said.

Ellie sat in shock again for a few moments. She knew what the miracle had been. Rem had spared him. She hadn't wanted to kill everyone, which was a big relief for Ellie who had assumed she was living on borrowed time. She felt like screaming out in joy, but she remembered that one person had not been so lucky, the person whom they were attending a funeral service for.

"Surprised that more of the team didn't try to join you," Laurent said.

"They are busy packing up," Ellie said. "They are going to take a break from the case."

"That would be logical," Laurent said as he continued driving. He already began to sound more like himself.

"Do you think Kira will ever be caught," Ellie said after a while of silence.

"I can't be certain," Laurent said. "I am not tied to the case or any other case right now," Laurent said. "I'm trying to change a few things in my life, and maybe I will be able to do something about it later, but for now in the current state of things," Laurent said looking over at Ellie his eyes averted toward her stomach, "We already have enough on our hands."

Ellie nodded again and looked at the road ahead. He was right about not worrying about it now. She almost felt selfish now that she had been working on the case with the Kira Investigation team to just quit because she was pregnant, but she knew it would be best for both herself and Laurent to lie low for a while and just be a normal family.

That word rang in her mind. Family. It seemed so strange now, but she looked over at Laurent and through the swirling whirlwind that her life had become since becoming part of the Kira investigation team she finally felt like she belonged somewhere. She finally felt like she had a family that wasn't going to disappear if she closed her eyes.

She let the sleep she desperately need come over her in the passenger seat of Laurent's Lexus and was awoken an hour later by Laurent.

"Ellie we are here," he said.


	2. And the Band Played On

_**Chapter 2: And the Band Played On**_

_Thanks to my reviewers LizLuvsSpongebob and Sybill Corvax!! Knowing that this alternate story is actually getting some readers and reviewers keeps me trying to write. This chapter will be quite long, which is to make up for my lack of updating sometimes. I have added a page specifically for this fanfiction on my website if anyone is interested in pictures of Ellie's wedding dress or Ellie and Laurent's house in Britain. My webpage link can be found on my profile page. I do not own Death Note, its characters or its plot. I do however own Ellie, more bills than I can keep up with, and a fiancé who is currently snoozing as I'm typing this lol. _

Ellie and Laurent got out of the car and walked into what looked to be a field. Ellie saw a small church house. "I wasn't even aware places like this existed," she said thinking out loud.

"Its quite stunning isn't it?" Laurent said looking out at the field.

Ellie took in the sight. It was February so the snow was still covering the ground and the churchyard, but it glistened in the sun like some kind of gem. She enjoyed the feel of the open air. She look it over and then her face fell. She remembered why they were there. They were there because Watarai had passed on and this place was just a field of death.

Ellie nodded to Laurent after she gave the place one last look over. They walked into the church building and sat in the pews. Ellie began to pull the tissues out of her pocket cursing herself for not picking up another pack. She knew that five tissues were not going to hold her.

The service began soon after and all of the friends had piled in. Ellie caught sight of a face of someone she recognized. She hadn't seen Roger since she was 16 years old and scared to death of what was going to happen to her in an insane asylum. She knew that he was a friend of Watarai; she just for some reason hadn't expected to see him at the funeral.

The funeral service was quite short and the stay outside was also quite short. The snow fell softly as they lowered the coffin into the ground.

"He went to this church as a child," Laurent said to her quietly. "His parents are buried here as well."

Ellie was surprised. She hadn't thought much about Watarai's life other than when it correlated to the present. "He grew up around this area then?" Ellie questioned quietly as well.

"Yes," Laurent said.

"How do you know that?" Ellie asked. She had assumed that he kept to himself; he just seemed that type of person.

"I was born in that church," Laurent said pointing back to the church building.

"Really?" Ellie said trying to hold her in shock. She had never really thought too much about his personal life before she met him either, other than his life at the orphanage.

"Yes, I was abandoned at birth," L said. "Until I went to Wammy's house I spent a lot of my time orphanage jumping," Laurent said almost smirking at that comment. Ellie held back all emotion until after the funeral. She didn't want to look like she didn't care about Watarai, but she also didn't want to think about Watarai, afraid that if she started crying she wouldn't be able to stop herself.

Laurent and Ellie listened to the last of the parting words for Watarai and for friends and family. Ellie wasn't aware that any family was there, but she wasn't quite sure, maybe it was just something that the priest got used to saying at funerals.

Ellie and Laurent walked back to the car. In the parking lot Ellie realized, their car didn't really stick out all that much.

"Watarai had some rich friends," Ellie said quietly to Laurent.

Laurent nodded and opened Ellie's door in a very gentleman like manner and Ellie slid into the car. She shivered a couple times. She hadn't been dressed for a snowfall like this, but she should have known they would get snow. Laurent got in the driver's side and turned on the heat immediately shivering himself.

Much of the car ride passed in silence. Neither of them brought up anything though they should have been talking about many things at that point in time.

"So what's the plan now," Ellie finally said not knowing exactly where they were driving. She had missed a lot of the countryside when she fell asleep as they drove through the first time so she didn't know where they were at all.

"Going to see our house," Laurent said.

"Oh yeah," Ellie said.

"You had forgotten?" Laurent asked.

Ellie nodded. She had butterflies in her stomach now. Our house? She had never considered it her house at all; it was L's house, well Laurent's house.

"How far from the church is it?" Ellie asked.

"Not very far, it's on the outskirts of the city," Laurent said focusing on the road now.

Ellie was confused. First he seems like he was halfway flirting with her and then he was back to his cold self. She wondered if she would ever get used to that.

Laurent pulled up in the driveway of a home about a half an hour later. Ellie had been looking at the window and immediately as she felt the car stop, shifted her eyes to the house. It was actually not what Ellie had been expecting.

It was completely brick with big windows around the front. The house wasn't too big, which was something Ellie had expected, but it looked just the right size for a family of four or five to live comfortably. Ellie realized for the first time that day that she was harboring a family member right now who would make his or her appearance sometime in September by her calculations.

Ellie got out of the car and walked closer to the house. It had a small brick wall, which looked like it was only big enough to keep a few small animals out of the yard that didn't have jumping capabilities. She was in the driveway though, so the wall was around her and not in front of her. She walked to the door. She could already see that she was gong to love living here.

"It's beautiful," Ellie gasped to herself.

Laurent unlocked the door handing Ellie her own key to the house. Ellie put the key on her keychain and rubbed the smooth metal as she placed it back into her pocket. When he opened the door she gasped once again.

The house opened to a small entrance room with a closet for coats. Ellie placed her own wool coat in the closet and saw a small fainting couch in the entranceway as well. Fainting couches hadn't really been a big thing since the Victorian era and Ellie was surprised to find one in the house. She knew it wasn't an actual fainting couch, but it was a good reproduction of one.

Ellie continued walking through the wood double doors into what looked to be a living room. There were two bookshelves, a stereo, a small fireplace that seemed pretty modern, a couple of loveseats, some artwork on the walls, a vase full of flowers on the coffee table that sat in front of the fireplace. Ellie gasped as she was swept through an archway to the kitchen with a combined dining area. The kitchen had lots of counter space and an island with more space. She noted that there was a built in wine holding device in the island so she suspected Laurent was older than her by at least year. She had never bothered asking him before that point.

"How old are you?" Ellie asked.

Laurent gave her a look like she had just blurted out the most obscure question. "I am 23," Laurent said. "I will be 24 in October,"

Ellie felt a bit guilty. Laurent's birthday was in October, and she hadn't known so she hadn't wished him a happy birthday that year.

"Your 20 right?" Laurent said. Ellie blushed. She hadn't realized that she never told him her age either.

"19," Ellie said. "That's pretty close though, how did you guess?"

"You are in you're second year of college and if you started on time as most do in your country, you would have started college at 18, and this being your second year you would be going on 20 sometime this year," Laurent said.

"In May," Ellie said.

Laurent nodded. He took her through the kitchen to the stairway. The stairway had a small nook area for playing chess and lounging. Ellie walked up the stairs with Laurent and noted that there was a hall at the stairway with everything going toward the right. She was at the end of the hall and there was a big window to her left. She walked to the right peering in the first doorway. There was a very executive looking office room and a bathroom across the hallway. She continued walking and looked in on the next two doors that were also across the hall from one another. She saw a metal bed frame, a fireplace, and a few bland furnishing in one room and the other room had nothing in it at all, but a rickety looking rocking chair.

"Who's room is this?" Ellie asked.

"The baby's," Laurent said. "I thought you would know better what to put in that room so I'll leave that you,"

Ellie nodded. She continued walking and saw that there were only two doors left and other window at the end of that hall. She looked in the door on the right next to the baby's room and she saw another bathroom. She looked to the door on the left next to the room she presumed to be Laurent's and saw the most beautiful bed she had ever seen in her life. It had somewhat of a canopy and the light that filled the room absolutely overjoyed her. She had flowers in a vase on a table in her room and a lamp on a nightstand. Her dresser was wood and looked very sturdy. There was a rug on the wood floor. She gasped more for that room than she had any other.

"Do you like it," Laurent asked.

"I do," Ellie, said barely able to speak in her awe. She hadn't expected them to be able to live in a room together even though they were to be married. She never knew how little they really knew about each other. She wanted to know more about Laurent, but she didn't know what questions to ask. She was first of all way to flattered to ask him certain questions, he had done so much to marry her and start a life with her it seemed selfish to question why they weren't in the same room. He obviously knew her pretty well if he could design a room like this just for her.

We will be staying here after you finish your second year and get your license to be a nurse assistant. That will leave you time to rest before the baby will it not?" Laurent asked.

Ellie nodded. She had wanted to stay in college to get an advanced practice degree possibly even a doctorate, but things came up and happened and sometimes it was best just to go with the flow.

"I wanted to show you the house and now we have seen it, if you would like we can go and sit in the family room and we can talk about what is going on these next few months before we come here to live in the spring," Laurent said.

Ellie nodded again. They walked back down the stairs and Ellie sat herself on a loveseat facing the coffee table and Laurent sat on the one on the other side of the coffee table. Neither of them sat together on the couch that was behind the coffee table and facing the fireplace.

"When would you like to get married?" Laurent asked.

"Soon," Ellie said. "If we wait too long people will start to realize why we got married, which would not look good for either of us," Ellie said.

"This is true," Laurent said nodding. "How soon is soon?"

"A few weeks I guess I wasn't planning on having a big ceremony or anything just maybe elope with a few people present.

"That sounds comfortable," Laurent said nodding again. "Is that what you want?"

Ellie's mind almost wanted to scream. "Of course is not what I want. I want to finish my education. I want to get married because the person I want to marry is mutually in love with me, not because he knocked me up and now we are moving in together in a house that is way too expensive for someone like me. I feel like I have used you to get here and now I've ruined not only my life, but yours along with it." Instead her mouth answered, "It sounds perfect."

"Who do you want to be the witness?" Laurent asked.

Ellie gulped. "I sort of already invited Matsuda to the wedding, so I guess he can be one," Ellie said.

Laurent laughed. This took Ellie aback. She hadn't remembered a time when L had ever really laughed. "I guess that works out well. Anyone else?"

"I don't know that many people," Ellie said.

Laurent nodded. "Well, I believe we only need two witnesses as is customary. You can get back to me with your choice of the second person later."

"Yes," Ellie said nodding her head.

"And, have you any idea which apartment you would like to move into?" Laurent asked.

"Oh," Ellie said. "I hadn't thought about that. I will start making phone calls," Ellie said.

"You can connect to the wireless Internet on your laptop anywhere in the house," Laurent said leaving the room and heading toward the kitchen. "I will be upstairs in the office," he added as he disappeared into the kitchen."

Ellie connected to the Internet and found a few prospective places. She wrote down the specs and walked upstairs to the office where she found Laurent entranced in his computer screen.

Ellie cleared her throat and Laurent said, "I am working on a puzzle at the moment, but I should be done in a few minutes if you would like to take a seat." Laurent pointed her to a chair nearby the desk. Ellie felt a bit like she was going to a meeting with a big CEO and she was being asked to wait for him to get out of a meeting before she could meet him. She looked over at Laurent and saw that he was sitting in the chair just as he had when he sat in a chair any other time. Ellie thought he looked a bit like a bird perching.

A few minutes later Laurent turned to her and sat in his chair more comfortably. "Did you find anything?" he asked her.

"Yes I found quite a few, what price range would you like to keep in?" Ellie asked.

"No particular price range, but I would like a building with some kind Internet hookup for communication purposes," Laurent said.

Ellie nodded. She moved a couple of the papers she had been holding into the garbage container by her chair. "There are a few like that," Ellie said. "Two bedroom or one bedroom?" Ellie asked. This was the way to put that question of separate bedrooms in there without seeming as if she were ungrateful of the home she had been given.

"Two," Laurent said not leaving any pause to indicate thinking.

Ellie nodded again and slipped a few more papers into the container.

"There is one close the campus," Ellie said looking over the stack that was left in her hands. "It fits all of the criteria."

"Make the preparations then, I am always packed to go," Laurent said focusing in on his computer screen.

Ellie nodded and walked out the door. She made the necessary phone calls and she got the apartment plans set up. She would have to swing by the building that the Kira Investigation team was currently clearing out of and get the rest of her stuff, but she didn't want to bring it with her to Britain because she knew she wouldn't be staying here very long before she would be back in Japan once again.

Ellie slept in her bedroom that night. The mattress felt so soft under her aching back that she just melted into it and was out like a light. When she woke up the next morning feeling completely rested.

She walked down the stairs and made her way into the kitchen where she spotted Laurent. He wasn't doing anything of interest, he almost seemed like he was in a trance. Ellie was afraid to move him or anything; she wasn't sure exactly what he was doing. She walked past him slowly and made her way over the island counter and began making pancake batter. Finally she couldn't take the silence and broke it by saying, "Do you like pancakes?"

Laurent's head snapped around to look at her. Ellie almost jumped out of her skin with how fast of a reaction she got.

"I will have one, with syrup," Laurent said and once again he was back in his trance.

Ellie mixed up a small batch of pancakes and placed the plate in front of Laurent not sure what to say.

She sat down in a chair with her own plate and ate silently. Finally Laurent snapped out of whatever form of meditation he was doing and began to eat his own breakfast.

After moments of silence he finally said, "This is good."

Ellie smiled. "So were you just meditating a bit ago?" Ellie asked after she finished chewing a mouthful of pancake.

"Thinking," Laurent said and then looked away from her.

Ellie sighed and didn't push the issue anymore. Eventually he might tell her, but honestly he was probably thinking about the quickest way to dump her ass. She was definitely not going to be fun to be around in a few months. She already knew she was going to be a hormonal wreck, she could feel that coming along already, but she wasn't sure if that was from the emotional problems she was already carrying around or if it was pregnancy emotional problems. Either way she knew she was in for more in the months to come.

"What are you thinking about?" Ellie felt herself asking after many moments of silence. She hadn't wanted those words to slip out of her mouth, but they just did.

Laurent turned around and looked at her curiously. "I was thinking about having the wedding here in this house," Laurent said. "I have been reading up on getting married in Japan and we are both not legal residents so it would be quite difficult to get around to getting married in a timely fashion."

"Oh," Ellie said. She hadn't though of that. "What are the laws for marriage here?"

"Need someone registered to marry us, need two witnesses at the ceremony, I am a legal resident so getting married here will not be an issue," Laurent said.

Ellie nodded. "Do you know of anyone who will come and be a witness," Ellie said.

"No," Laurent said. "Laurent doesn't have any colleagues or close friends yet. I've only had a few days to put him together."

Ellie nodded again. "I already promised Matsuda an invitation, so that's one witness as I mentioned yesterday," Ellie said.

"Do you know anyone else who would be willing to be a witness?" Laurent asked finishing the last of the pancake.

"Hmm," Ellie said thinking.

"I think I have someone in mind," Ellie said after moments of silence.

"Who?" Laurent asked attempting to lick the syrup off the plate.

"Are you going to be ok, I promise I'm not going to cut you off of sugar to the point where you have to lick syrup off of a plate," Ellie said looking a little nervous.

Laurent nodded and set the plate back on the table.

"I think I'm going to invite Misa, that should be fun," Ellie said thinking out loud again and sarcastically at that.

"Then we have our two witnesses, I will contact someone to marry us soon, you are probably missing many classes to be here now aren't you?" Laurent asked slyly.

"Well, uhm, yeah a little bit," Ellie said.

"Best make it very soon then," Laurent said again. "Luckily I have prepared for such. You will find that you have a dress in your closet upstairs that I believe will be to your liking. I have of course guessed on the size, but I believe that you haven't gained any weight yet from the pregnancy so it should be accurate."

Ellie was shocked. "You guessed my weight, and height and dress measurements!" she almost yelled at him. She felt somewhat insulted, but knew that he meant well by it. "Sorry got a little out of control there," she said thinking out loud once again.

Laurent just laughed. Ellie had expected him to run or call the whole thing off and ditch his crazy pregnant fiancé, but he thought it was charming. He just continued to laugh and said, "I found the measurements from the tag in that blue dress you wore. It fit you then, so I assumed something of the same dimensions would still fit you," Laurent said.

Ellie blushed. She had been jumping to conclusions in her head. She was actually flattered that he got her a wedding dress and that he wanted things to be a little traditional despite the nature of the wedding. She smiled.

"Well you had best try it on before the ceremony to be sure that the measurements are up to date," Laurent said.

Ellie nodded and placed the dirtied dishes in the sink to wash at a later time. She walked up the stairs and into her room. She threw open the closet doors and was amazed to find that indeed there was a dress bag hanging in the closet. She saw that her closet had a shelf above it for some of her sheets and such, and there were a few sheets, a throw blanket, and an extra comforter already stashed in that space. She also found a small box and she placed the box to the side planning to open it later. She unzipped the dress bag and gasped.

It wasn't much, but the dress was stunning. It was white, strapless and looked as if it would fit her perfectly. She tried it on, soon finding out that it did fit, but it was going to be impossible for her to zip herself into it. She decided not to zip it up and slide it off her body. She didn't want Laurent to see it on her until the day of the wedding.

She looked in the box and was marveled. The dress may have been a little plain, but the jewelry that was to go with it made up for that. She picked up the small hairpiece and watched how it seemed to sparkle with the sunlight. The necklace matched and she wondered how in the hell Laurent had been able to pull this off. Not the price of it, she knew he had the money do to this, but the time, the effort, she didn't seem to think a person who dressed themselves everyday in a white long sleeved shirt and blue jeans would know what they were doing when it came to clothing or jewelry for a wedding.

Ellie laid herself back on her bed and decided that she should probably call both Matsuda and Misa. Travel plans would need to be made as well as accommodations as to where they would be staying. Ellie wasn't sure that the house had enough room for both parties there certainly weren't enough beds.

The first thing she did was calling Misa. Ellie used the phone that was on the wall of the stairway nook. Misa was not hard to get a hold of because she of course was always carrying her cell around. She answered the phone cheerfully, "Misa Misa here how can I help you?"

"Misa, it's me, Ellie," Ellie said into phone attached to the wall in the stairway nook.

"Ellie?" Misa questioned. "Aren't you in Britain?" She asked.

"Yes," Ellie said. "I wanted to know if you wanted to be a witness at my wedding," Ellie said.

"A wedding!" Misa exclaimed. "Oh how romantic. You are able to bounce back from L so quickly?" Misa questioned.

"I was never interested in L!" Ellie almost shouted into the earpiece. She cursed herself for being so short with Misa. Misa meant well, most of the time.

"Sorry Ellie-chan Misa just thought," Misa said.

"I know Misa it's ok, I miss L, but he's gone and I'm sure he wouldn't mind that I'm getting married," Ellie said. "He shouldn't mind considering he is the one I'm marrying," she thought to herself.

"Well, I guess that makes sense," Misa said. "So where are you going to be married?" Misa asked excited once again about the prospect of a wedding.

Ellie gave Misa the directions to the home and she promised to book a room in a local hotel for Misa to accommodate her. They both said goodbye and hung up the phone to talk once again when the plans were made for hotel reservations and time and date for the wedding.

Ellie braced herself for the next phone call. She knew that her marrying Laurent hurt Matsuda. She knew that he didn't like the idea too much and perhaps it was because he was jealous of Laurent, but Ellie doubted that. "Don't be so full of yourself, not everyone is interested in you like that," Ellie thought to herself as she dialed his cell phone number in. She heard the phone ring a few times before Matsuda finally picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Matsuda asked confused.

"Matsuda," Ellie said. "It's me Ellie."

"Hello Ellie," Matsuda said very calmly. Whatever anger he had earlier had dissipated. Ellie was glad for that, she liked Matsuda much better when he was his usual self.

"You know that wedding I invited you to?" Ellie asked.

"Yes," Matsuda said.

"Well, it turns out it's being moved up and its taking place here in Britain. I would really like it if you would be a witness at my wedding Matsuda," Ellie said bracing herself for the rejection. She didn't think that Matsuda would want to fly out just for a wedding; he had way too much to do finding a job and getting back into normal life after the Kira investigation.

"Where and when," Matsuda asked.

Ellie smiled and gave Matsuda all of the instructions promising to call back once she reserved a room for him. She was so relieved that this had worked out that she just couldn't wipe the smile off of her face once she got off the phone with Matsuda.

Everything was working out good so far, now all she had to do was figure out how to make it work out the rest of her life. What a task that was turning out to be.


	3. Duality

_**Chapter 3:Duality **_

_I cannot believe how long it has been since I updated this, but I have updated the original story that this has become an alternate scenario for. I feel that I've been neglecting this fan fic a little. I am sorry to my readers, not that there are many of you, but I appreciate that you are reading and reviewing. I warn you that I was received a request from a reader who asked me to make a change in my original fan fic and I had to say no because what's written is written, but I promised to try to piece it into this one. I generally take my requests for certain story qualities into consideration especially if I think they could put an interesting spin on things. In order to make this fit I did a lot of research, in how I could best make this change without totally botching the original storyline because this is supposed to follow it pretty closely except that L is alive and such. I finally found the perfect fix though the way to get it to work is a little outrageous I think it makes a nice fit in the story so I apologize if it seems like it's a little off the wall it's the best way I could get it to really fit in there. I hope that you enjoy the new chapter and continue reading and reviewing. I do not own Death Note, its characters, or its plotline. I do own Ellie, strawberry jelly, and this fan fic of course. _

Sometimes the most unlikely situations lead us to who we are going to be. Ellie had never believed this more than when she was making these crazy travel arrangements for a wedding that had just been planned the week before. Was she crazy? This was marriage she was talking about, with L nonetheless! He could change his hair color, he could change the way he looked, the way he talked, but he would still be L! It wasn't that this bothered her, she had in fact fallen deeply in love with him, but she didn't feel that it was mutual. He had chosen to lock himself away from her in either his office or his bedroom, only taking meals with her generally.

She paced around the room like a caged animal. She certainly wasn't caged, it had been she who had chosen this, she just hadn't expected things to go so fast and for herself to fall so hard like this.

Ellie was supposed to meet the preacher today who was to marry them. She had asked Laurent where she was supposed to take the man when he got there. Laurent told her to take the man out into the backyard through a room in the stairwell that Laurent hadn't shown her on the initial tour.

Ellie heard the doorbell ring and greeted the man who was to marry Laurent and herself. She took him on a tour of the downstairs leaving out the upstairs and took him into the backyard. It had been the first time even she had seen the backyard and it was hard for her to suppress a gasp when she saw it.

The man shivered a bit. "Are you sure you don't want to wait, it's still going to be chilly and possibly snowy during the wedding."

"I'm sure," Ellie said trying to refrain from holding her stomach. If she waited until April or May when it would be warm enough for a real outdoor wedding she would already be showing.

"What are you going to do if it keeps snowing like this?" the man asked her.

Ellie thought. She wasn't sure what she would do. "I hear its supposed to warm up a bit," Ellie said. "If not I suppose we will have to figure out how to do it indoors." Ellie said thinking quickly.

The man nodded and surveyed the backyard. Ellie took the whole backyard in. She could see the small shoots of grass underneath the melting snow. She saw the flowers that would surely grow around the edge of the house and as she looked out onto a meadow on the property that Laurent owned. Ellie felt breathless at the sight. It was everything she loved, everything she had wanted in a home. She smiled and the man nodded his head again. "Well I've got to go, but give me a call if there are any changes."

Ellie escorted the man to the front door where he excited. Ellie was walked back into the kitchen. She hadn't even been aware that there was a room that lead to the backyard, she had thought that you just had to walk around the house to get to the backyard, but one of the rooms she had mistaken as a bathroom on the tour of the stairwell was actually a doorway leading to what she thought of as a mudroom to discard clothing before walking into the perfection of the home. She saw that the washer and dryer were found there as well as lot of s closet storage space for winter coats, shoes, umbrellas and things of that nature.

Ellie washed the dishes while thinking. "What is going to happen?" She dried the dishes and walked upstairs. She walked past Laurent's office and saw that he wasn't inside of the room. She peaked into the bedroom and he wasn't there either. She scratched her head.

"Where could he possibility be?" Ellie thought out loud to herself. "Perhaps he is in the living room," she thought to herself.

She walked downstairs and into the living room. "Where is he?" she thought to herself.

She looked outside and the car was still in the driveway. "Where could he be?" She shrugged and walked back upstairs. She supposed he would just always keep her guessing like that, it wouldn't matter that they were married or going to be parents soon, he would still confuse the hell out of her.

She reached the top of the stairs. She turned the corner and walked on to her room. She stopped for a moment and turned around and peaked into the baby's room. She had sworn that she had heard something.

She peeked into the room and saw Laurent sitting cross-legged in the floor. Ellie smiled and opened the door a bit farther to get a better look at Laurent. She stepped into the doorway and then all hell broke lose in her body.

Ellie felt a horrible pain go through her body. She hadn't had a cramp like this in a long time. She cried out and Laurent turned his head quickly to see her clutching her midsection.

"You need to go to the hospital," Laurent said after she cringed for a few minutes in pain on the floor. "This isn't normal at all." Ellie gritted her teeth and nodded feebly. Could she really argue?

Ellie walked down the stairs and Laurent followed behind her. The pain had subsided a bit, but she didn't want to chance it. She had heard pregnancy horror stories, and she knew that she wouldn't feel it if she did miscarry this early, but it seemed nothing was normal about her body. She wasn't sure what she would have done if Laurent hadn't been there. Would she have just tried to grit her teeth and ignore it? She probably would have. Something about him being there with her looking as concerned as she felt made her want to get it checked out, even though it probably was nothing.

Laurent started the car quickly and Ellie climbed into the passenger seat. They drove several miles, and Ellie kept looking at the speedometer. Laurent showed no sign of losing his cool, but his speed showed otherwise. They were going almost 90 miles per hour and she felt as if her stomach were about to come through her entire body when they made an abrupt stop. Ellie hadn't remembered going through any large cities on the way there, but it seemed that there was a big city approximately 20 miles away, with a hospital. It hadn't taken any time at all to get there with the speed that Laurent was driving at.

A few minutes later they were in a hospital waiting room. Laurent seemed as calm as ever as he insisted she sit down in the waiting room while he took care of the paperwork. She had never known how charismatic he was until that moment. He seemed to pass the receptionist something and then Ellie was taken right away. Ellie looked back and realized that Laurent had bribed the receptionist and probably the doctor who would be seeing her later with cash. She felt dirty at that moment, but also flattered that he would do something like that for her when it probably wasn't that big of an emergency. She wanted to argue it, but she was already being rushed into a room.

"What seems to be the problem?" the doctor asked her.

"Horrible cramping," Ellie said. He gave her a strange look as if she were coming in for mere menstrual cramps. "I'm pregnant," she added.

The doctor raised his eyebrows. That seemed to make this situation more complicated and more serious now. He left the room and then she was taken to get an ultrasound.

"Miss, we can't see a lot, but it looks like your going to lose one of your babies," the ultrasound technician said.

"One of them?" she questioned. "I was pregnant with twins?" she questioned again as if that wasn't obvious from what the technician had said.

"Yes, we may have caught it early enough to get you into surgery to see if the problem can be fixed, but its very rare, and the baby is just a mass of cells right now. It would be more natural to the child go as nature intended it, but if you should choose surgery you may have a small chance of reattaching the child to the placenta and possibly having twins if all goes well," the doctor explained coming into the room just moments after Ellie had received the news.

"I want the surgery," Ellie said. She didn't care if there was barely any chance. As L had said before when he was investigating Light, even small possibilities shouldn't be overlooked.

"You could die on the table," the doctor said raising his eyebrows again. He seemed to do that a lot.

"I realize that," Ellie said.

"You could lose both children, and you could die, you have no guarantee that this will work out," the doctor said flabbergasted.

Ellie thought for a moment. Was it worth it? She had so much death in her life, was sacrificing one child worth saving the other or herself? She wondered about how many times she had scraped by from death. She must have some kind of guardian angel looking out for her, and if it were looking out for her it would look out for her babies. She hung her head for a moment as if praying and then met the doctor's cold steely eyes. "I'm sure of my decision, get me in as soon as you possibly can."

The surgery took only a few hours, but Laurent was still pacing in the waiting room. He hadn't been in the room with her when she had discovered that she was having twins, she was going to lose one of the twins, and now she was risking her life for a surgery that may not work out at all. He of course had to hear all of this from a nurse, which made him even angrier. He didn't even have a chance to say anything to her before she went into surgery. Apparently one of the twins was going to be lost to a syndrome called Vanishing Twin Syndrome. He had never heard of such a thing.

His life was certainly a mess. He got engaged, became a prospective parent, lost his virginity, lost Watarai, was hiding out from Kira, and was going to get married all in 2 months. He was so good at adapting, but in this situation it was just too much. He was easier at adapting when it was jut him, when there was no other person involved, but now he became intertwined in another person's life. This was the hardest adaptation he had ever had to go through.

Ellie's surgery was very short. When coming off of the anesthetics she took a look around hospital room she was in for her recovery. She blinked a couple of times. She wondered how big of a scar she would have on her skin. She sighed. She had no idea how long she was out, she buzzed for the nurse, just to let her know she was awake and to see what was going on with the babies.

She turned to see that Laurent had fallen asleep in a car beside the bed. She reached out and touched his hand. She laughed at how he sat in the chair.

The nurse walked in and said, "Oh, you're awake, well I suppose the doctor should be in soon to tell you how it went then." After checking Ellie's vitals she left.

Ellie watched Laurent awake by her side. She smiled at him and held his hand.

Laurent watched Ellie curiously. She smiled at him, after a surgery, after knowing that she might lose her children, their children, which he still couldn't believe. Having one child was hard enough to imagine in his mind, but now, the thought of having twins, was far too much for him. When the doctor handed him the ultrasound he was amazed. Such small creatures, with two separate heartbeats and both were going to be fine and carried full term if all went well. Nothing was certain because most vanishing twins weren't caught, but then again nothing was normal about Ellie he noted.

Ellie got out of the hospital the next day after her stitches were assessed and another ultrasound was taken. Ellie looked at the stitches across her lower abdomen. It was going to be a small scar, she could see that, but it still made her self-conscious. She didn't expect her wedding night to be anything exciting, but she had hoped that maybe Laurent would want to do something. She didn't even want to look at the scar, she was just happy that she was going to hopefully have a healthy pregnancy after this.

When she got to their home she was surprised to see that she had missed several phone calls and as she went through the answering machine she was grateful that she had planned ahead for the wedding because it seemed that Misa and Matsuda were already in their hotel rooms in the bigger city about 20 miles away and were awaiting instruction for the wedding. She didn't want to keep them in the hotel rooms for too long, she knew that Matsuda at least had a job to probably get back to. She also knew that Misa did a lot of things that she may be able to get out of a little easier, but she was still a star in Japan and she couldn't be gone for too long before questions were asked.

Ellie looked at the weather when she got inside and found that it would be warm in three days for a few days before another cold front went through. It would not be spectacularly warm but it wouldn't be raining, which was a first for Britain because it was generally always raining.

"We should have our wedding on Tuesday," Ellie said.

"Tuesday?" Laurent questioned. "You just came out of surgery!"

Ellie laughed. This was the first time she had ever heard Laurent get flustered.

"It was a small surgery," Ellie said. "I will rest all of tomorrow and the next day, and then get everything ready Monday."

"You are exhausting," he said to her as he walked upstairs to his office.

"That's what I've been told," Ellie thought to herself smiling.


	4. Away From The Sun

_**Chapter 4: Away From the Sun**_

_Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. It took me long enough to finally get a chapter for this story up. I haven't updated since March, just waiting for a time when I would be able to keep up with the story. I hope that you enjoy the new chapter. Please keep reading and reviewing. I do not own Death Note or its characters. I do own Ellie, but that is about all. _

Ellie had the yard perfect for the wedding. She sat back to admire it. Laurent was up in his office once again. Ellie hadn't seen him since she had gotten back from surgery. It seemed that all the playfulness that they had was now fading.

"I guess I just need to go to the hospital more often," she thought to herself.

She heard a doorbell in the distance. "Early," she thought to herself as she got up. She walked through the house to the front door noting that Laurent hadn't moved and inch.

"Misa," Ellie said surprised. She was surprised to see Misa early. Ellie had been expecting Matsuda to be early because Misa was always fashionably late.

"Oh!" Misa said. "I brought Matsu with me!" she said stepping aside and Ellie saw a very bashful Matsuda waving at her.

Ellie smiled and hugged them both. "You aren't dressed Ellie-chan!" Misa said noting Ellie's camisole and running shorts.

"I've been working on getting everything ready," Ellie said.

"We came to help," Matsuda said quietly.

"Oh," Ellie said. "Well, I could use help with the dress Misa, but uh Matsuda I'm sorry you can talk to Laurent if you want he's up in the office. I'll take you up if you want or you could wait in the living room."

"I'll just wait, if that's ok with you," Matsuda said trying not to be rude.

"That's ok," Ellie said feeling bad for putting Matsuda in such an awkward situation.

Misa and Ellie walked up the stairs.

"Wow, its so sunny in here Ellie-chan," Misa said walking into Ellie's room. "Why do you have your own room?" Misa asked. "Why doesn't he want to sleep with you?"

"He doesn't think its proper until we are married," Ellie said lying. She was proud that this had been one of her better lies.

"Oh!" Misa exclaimed. "I understand now, what a gentleman!"

Trying to change the subject Ellie opened her wardrobe so Misa could see her dress.

Misa exclaimed with glee. "It's so beautiful Ellie-chan!" "What are you going to wear under it?"

Ellie blushed. She hadn't even thought that far ahead. "I don't know," Ellie said quietly.

This of course sent Misa in an undergarment raid digging through the dresser on the other side of the room.

"Here finally something promising," Misa said pulling out a lacy pair.

Ellie blushed even more brightly. That underwear and bra set had been a gift. A disgusting gift of course, from Josh Barker. They were in a bag so it was no wonder that Ellie hadn't gotten rid of them yet she had honestly forgotten that she had gotten them.

"I don't know Misa," Ellie said.

Misa gave her a strange look. Ellie answered by saying. "I got those as a gift from someone I would rather not think about."

Misa seemed to not understand so Ellie took the underwear and bra from her. The underwear and bra were both black and had a sky blue lacing on the outer edges. "What the hell," she thought to herself. "Might as well actually wear them once."

Ellie dashed into the bathroom attached to her room and put on the underwear under her clothes.

"I guess I had better get the dress on," Ellie said and Misa jumped up from the bed she had been sitting on while she was waiting for Ellie to get out of the bathroom.

It took several minutes, but Misa and Ellie finally got the complicated dress zipped up. "For such a simple looking dress it was sure hard to get on," Ellie thought to herself.

Ellie put in the hairpiece and then put on the necklace. "I guess I can't come downstairs for a while now," Ellie said. "Is there any way you can get me when the ceremony is about to begin?" Ellie asked.

"Wait," Misa said. "Isn't there some kind of traditional clothing for a wedding, something old, new, and something else?" Misa asked thinking hard.

"Something borrowed and something blue," Ellie said finishing Misa's thought. "This isn't a traditional wedding though."

"Hmm," Misa thought again. "Well the underwear were blue," Misa said. "And that dress looks new."

Ellie blushed about the underwear comment. Misa continued speaking. "Well, all we need is something borrowed and something old," Misa said.

Ellie slipped on a white pair of dress shoes that she had worn with her blue prom dress. "These are old," Ellie said.

Misa clapped her hands together. "So now that all is left is something borrowed," Misa said. Misa looked at what she was wearing that day and then plucked three silver bracelets from her wrist and placed them on Ellie's wrist.

"I expect to get those back!" Misa said laughing.

"Well that is everything I guess," Ellie said. "I will see you before the ceremony."

"Of course Ellie-chan," Misa said leaving the room.

Ellie looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't even recognize herself. She was glad the bra had been strapless. It wasn't that the dress wasn't already built in with a bra, but she always felt naked walking around like that.

Misa came down the stairs and sat with Matsuda.

"I wish Light-kun were here," Misa said to Matsuda.

Matsuda nodded. He sat silently trying to be happy for Ellie and her husband, and well their child that no one was going to know about.

Soon the doorbell rang again and when there was a long pause where no one was getting up to answer the door Laurent finally emerged from his office. He ignored Matsuda and Misa and walked down the entranceway toward the front door.

"Ah," Laurent said as his muscles relaxed. "Please make yourself comfortable, we have decided to keep the wedding outdoor as planned."

The preacher walked in the room and said, "Well you picked the perfect day for it. This is the best weather that we will have for another month or so."

"It seems that things have worked out in our favor," Laurent said leading him into the living room.

"These are our witnesses," Laurent said. "Misa and Matsuda, both friends of the bride."

Misa and Matsuda looked up and finally got a good look at Ellie's fiancé. Matsuda chocked on his breath and Misa tilted her head to the side.

"Well I must get ready for the occasion, but please make yourselves at home and we will be starting the ceremony in a half an hour," Laurent said before disappearing in the kitchen and walking up the stairs.

The preacher left soon after Laurent did to set up his things in the backyard. Matsuda looked at Misa and asked, "Didn't he look familiar to you?"

"No," Misa said. "He was very good-looking though. Quite the catch."

Matsuda looked away. Just because he had moved didn't mean that he hadn't gotten over feeling inferior to Laurent and jealous of him to an extent. Laurent seemed to have everything, wealth, good looks, culture, and of course there was Ellie. He had gotten a nice girl pregnant and they were getting married to try to cover everything up in hopes that no one would notice that Ellie had gotten pregnant out of wedlock. He gripped his fists at his sides. He just hoped that Ellie would be happy with this Laurent fellow. That was all he could hope for her now except maybe a safe pregnancy, but he still had a few months to congratulate her on that.

Laurent walked up into his room put the suit on his body. He remembered Watarai suggesting he get a suit and he had gotten one to humor Watarai mostly, but now he would be wearing said suit to his wedding.

He waited in the backyard standing on one side of the preacher. He waited for Misa to go upstairs and escort Ellie in, but in the last minute Matsuda volunteered saying something about tradition calling for the father to give the bride away. "It might as well be a male friend," he had said.

He walked up the stairs his heart beating in his ears. He knocked on the door and heard Ellie unlatch the door from the other side and throw it open.

He gaped at Ellie and she gaped at him. "I thought Misa was supposed to come up and get me," she said trying not to hurt Matsuda's feelings.

"Change of plans," Matsuda said. "I'm.. giving you way," Matsuda said.

"Oh, well I'm glad you volunteered then. Everything will feel more complete when I know you are happy too," Ellie said. "I mean, I already know Misa is ecstatic, but I want you to be happy too. I know you're not happy with me, and you don't agree with this. Maybe its just how fast things went, I don't know. I… I am glad you came up here Matsuda."

Matsuda gulped. She gave him her arm and he took it. He walked her down the stairs and into the backyard trying to ignore how lovely she looked.

Laurent almost gasped when he saw Ellie come out of the house. He had been the one to decide on her dress, but he had never guessed how she would look in it.

Matsuda released Ellie's arm and she kissed him on the cheek. She turned to face her fiancé and the wedding began.

After the binding kiss of man and wife Ellie looked up into Laurent's eyes. She smiled brightly at him.

Matsuda and Misa took a flight back to Japan soon after the ceremony was over and Ellie said that she would also be back in Japan by Friday to start her classes the next week.

Ellie and Laurent cleaned up and paid the preacher. After all was said and done it was sunset and Ellie hadn't yet changed out of the dress and Laurent hadn't change out of his suit.

"You look great," Ellie said to him.

"You too," Laurent said nervously not sure what to say to her.

"So did you want to get changed and board a flight tonight or did you want to wait until the morning?" he asked.

"I'll wait until the morning," Ellie said. She was hoping that something would happen on the night of their wedding. It was a foolish thing to think, and selfish as well, but it seemed like the closure she needed after all this. She wanted to feel his arms around her just one night and she would be content.

"It's customary for the groom to take the garter off the bride," Ellie said blushing.

Laurent looked at her oddly and then lifted the skirt portion of her dress up.

"Not with your hands," she said blushing even more. "With your teeth."

She half expected him to just say no and leave the room without looking at her, but his trembling hands sat her on the couch in the living room and his head disappeared under her dress.

Ellie at first felt nothing, but then she felt hot breath on her thigh, which made her jump. Laurent's teeth touched her skin and Ellie starting breathing heavily. She felt the garter leave her leg as it was pulled down to her ankles. She saw Laurent's head emerge from under the dress with the lacy garter in his mouth and his face red with embarrassment.

"The blue looks really nice against your skin," was all he could get out before their lips collided. She tasted as good as he remembered.

Ellie laid herself back to stretch on the couch and Laurent lay on top of her. They were still fully clothed, but the kissing hadn't ceased.

"Marshmallows?" he asked in between breaths.

"No," Ellie said gasping for breath.

"You taste sweet," he said to her.

Ellie blushed and pushed her lips up against his again. Laurent fidgeted with the zipper on her dress. He finally got it between his fingers and unzipped it fully. He sat up on the couch and Ellie did as well. The dress slipped down to her waist showing off the bra she was wearing.

Laurent buried his face in between her breasts. Ellie began taking off his layers until she reached his bare chest. She touched his skin and he bolted up.

"Ellie, we have to catch a flight early in the morning," he said buttoning his undershirt.

Ellie sat on the couch alone with her dress halfway down. She could feel his kisses still on her lips, but it seemed that now she was alone.

She walked up the stairs after sitting there for a long period of time. She walked into her room and lay on her bed watching the last of the sun slip past the horizon.


	5. The Honeymoon is Over

_**Chapter 5: The Honeymoon is Over.**_

_It has been quite a while for these updates. I started writing this earlier in the summer and just never got around to finishing it. It didn't help that my computer quit working and classes started back up. I am back though, not sure how often I will be able to update with my current schedule being a mess, but that's how it goes sometimes. Please read and review and I will update when I can. I do not own Death Note, its characters, or anything related to it. I own Ellie and that is about all. _

Ellie didn't sleep well that night. She tried to go to bed soon after being rejected by Laurent. She knew that she shouldn't be overreacting, he was probably just getting used to things again and it was she who had been selfish to think he would be anywhere near being able to have sex with her, he couldn't even sleep in the same room as her. She just sighed. She had been foolish and wasn't going to let it happen again at least not the way that it had.

When she woke up the sun was hanging over the horizon once again. She had managed to wake up with the dawn. She stretched and yawned. There was no way she was going back to sleep, and she was honestly relieved to be awake. Anything was better than the dreams she had been having. She of course couldn't remember many of them after she woke up, but waking up gasping and covered in a cold sweat, muscles aching from tossing all night were usually a good indicator to her of what kind of dream she must have been having. She woke up several times finding herself in that situation.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked more awful than she thought. She had dark circles under her eyes and everything about her looked exhausted. She hoped that Laurent wouldn't notice, she knew that he ignored her most of the time, but he might want not want to leave for the airport if she looked like she was going to collapse at any moment.

Ellie tried to cover as much as she could after a hot shower with makeup. She looked fairly acceptable.

She walked down the stairs to start breakfast. She knew that Laurent didn't really sleep and that he would be craving sugar soon. She hunted in the cabinets for pancake mix or even ingredients to make pancakes, but she finally gave up after a half an hour search.

She started to walk upstairs to find Laurent to ask him how to get to town. She hadn't been to town since being in the hospital, and even though that was just a few days ago it felt like forever sine then. Her wedding, that had just been the day before, even felt like it was years behind her.

She peaked into Laurent's office. She found him in front of his computer. He didn't look up at her.

"Yes?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

"Could you give me directions to the grocery store, I need to pick up some pancake mix," Ellie said.

He looked up at her and tried to hide the shocked expression. Ellie obviously hadn't noticed both the time and how Ellie looked.

"Have you been up all night?" Laurent asked with the most shocked expression Ellie had ever seen him wear.

"No," Ellie said. She wasn't lying technically. She had been sleeping in order to have had such horrible dreams, but if he had asked her if she had rested at all that night she would have to have answered him no.

"What time is it?" he asked her.

"About 6 why?" she asked.

"The grocery store doesn't open until 8," Laurent said.

Ellie cursed to herself. She should have guessed as much. "We have other foods here if you would like something else before our trip," Laurent said attempting to be helpful.

"Oh," Ellie said. "The pancakes weren't for me. They were for you," she added looking down at her feet.

Laurent said nothing. Ellie was also silent. The silence lasted for more than two minutes. Ellie hadn't looked up to see if Laurent was even looking at her anymore, and if he wasn't then she was going to feel even more foolish for standing in his doorway looking at her feet and not moving.

She stole a glance up. He was looking at her curiously which made her blush and then she shot her eyes back down.

"How are you feeling?" Ellie asked quietly stealing another glance up.

Laurent had his head titled slightly. "What?" he asked.

"I mean, with the wedding yesterday, and… well… giving up your chosen path because of two babies that neither of us is ready for. It's all… just too fast," Ellie said stumbling over her words. "I just want you to know you're not obligated, though I would like for you to be around, but not if you feel like you have to lock yourself away. This is your home, and I guess I just want you to be happy."

Laurent looked a little flabbergasted. He said nothing though he never broke his eye contact with Ellie.

"I think I'll just get an apple or something," Ellie said finally breaking the eye contact.

Laurent nodded and Ellie left the office. She walked down the stairs into the kitchen and grabbed an apple out of fruit out of the basket on the kitchen table. She wondered why Laurent kept a basket of fruit on the table anyway. She had never seen him eat fruit, or really care about what his space looked like. This house was so beautiful and there were just little decorative things that blew her mind. She finished the apple and looked at the clock again. She had only wasted 15 minutes eating the apple so now she had several hours to waste before they would be boarding a plane back to familiar territory.

Ellie walked back upstairs and packed. She wasn't sure what else she could do now, and she needed something to keep her hands busy. She pulled the knitting out that she had started at the beginning of the Kira investigation. She had started with a soft blue, but had worked in white and yellow as well. She had been expecting to make a scarf out of it, but she saw now she could easily start a blanket. She unraveled what she had started the blanket with the yarn pile that had started at her feet.

She looked up at the clock several times. It seemed every time she looked up she had lost another hour. Finally the clock read 10:36. She had managed to burn almost four hours by knitting and her blanket was starting to come along. She had a long way, but she knew before the twins were born they would each have handmade blanket. She rubbed her stomach and placed the knitting in with the rest of her luggage.

She continued packing the small amount of luggage she had. She hadn't brought much with her; most of her things from the Kira Investigation building were in a storage facility that Ellie used the last of her money to rent. The packing took her another half an hour and at that point she started getting antsy. She loved this place, but she wanted to get back to classes. She knew she had fallen very far behind, and that was when she remembered that she needed to contact the college she attended back where she used to call home before the Kira Investigation, before L, before she had even decided to study abroad. She could hardly remember living there now; it was the place that now felt so foreign. She opened her wallet to find the piece of paper she had tucked in one of the slots. This paper included the address, the extension numbers, and the fax numbers for the college she was attending in the states.

She dialed the number for the student services department. They connected her to her department and a jovial woman answered the phone.

"How can I help you today?" the woman on the other side of the line asked.

"I need to change my personal contact information," Ellie said.

"Oh," the woman on the other line said. "What do you need to have changed?"

"Name," Ellie said.

The woman seemed puzzled. "Eleanor Johnson was your name correct?" the woman asked reading Ellie's file Ellie presumed.

"Yes, I recently married." Ellie said.

The woman seemed to understand after that. "Congratulations! What is your current surname?"

"Wakatasuki," Ellie said.

"Well, that's a mouthful," the woman said laughing. "Be sure to remember that you also need to update your driver's license and any other legal documents should be changed."

Ellie smacked her forehead. She had completely forgotten that she needed to change her name on her driver's license. She also remembered that she now had a new place of residence as well. She realized then that she would have to apply for citizenship in the United Kingdom. "I'll get that changed thank you."

"Have a nice day," the woman said to Ellie.

Ellie hung up the phone. She didn't realize how many problems she was going to have with this. She flopped back on her bed. She sighed loudly. She realized she would have to talk to Laurent about this. She had no idea what to do in this situation; she didn't know how to apply for citizenship in this country. She had never had to do something like this before, and she was in Japan on a visa so there wasn't much complication to that.

She walked to the office where Laurent spent the majority of his time. He was sitting just as he had been when she went to see him at dawn.

"Laurent," she said quietly.

At first he didn't respond. Ellie waited several moments before plucking up the courage to say his name again, more loudly this time hoping that maybe he just hadn't heard her the last time, trying not to think that he was ignoring her and hoping she might disappear altogether.

"Laurent," Ellie repeated.

He spun the swivel chair around to look her in the face. "Yes," he said.

"Oh," Ellie said forgetting completely what she had come in to say.

There were a few moments of awkward silence before Ellie got her bearings and said, "I needed to change a few legal documents and thought that you may have a better knowledge on that sort of thing."

"Legal documents?" Laurent asked. "Pertaining to what?"

"My citizenship in this country, my driver's license, those are just a few I can think of," Ellie said.

"Oh," Laurent said. "That was taken care of late last night," Laurent said.

"What?" Ellie said confused. "I though those kind of things take days or weeks sometimes even months. How were you able to acquire those just hours after our wedding?"

"I, or rather Laurent, have connections," Laurent said. "Everything is taken care of."

"Oh, well that's a relief," Ellie said. "When did you want to leave for Japan?" Ellie asked.

"Now," he said getting up from his computer.

"You don't need to pack or anything?" Ellie asked.

"I was packed before you arrived. As you can imagine I don't have much that I need to bring along," Laurent said.

"Oh, well I will move my bags out to the car," Ellie said.

"We will be taken to the airport; the rental car should be here shortly." Laurent said.

Ellie was about to question how Laurent had booked a rental car, or how he knew the approximate time Ellie would be ready to go but she decided against it. She would just accept that this is how things operated with Laurent.

Twenty minutes later Ellie and Laurent were being driven to the airport in an enterprise rental car. Ellie and Laurent loaded their luggage and then waited for their flight.

"I never noticed the fountain," Ellie said.

"You were preoccupied," Laurent said.

"Yeah by you," Ellie thought to herself. "It's beautiful," she said.

"Limestone," Laurent said. "It's made of limestone."

"Limestone," Ellie repeated. "I remember reading something about limestone, the largest quarry of limestone in the world wasn't far from where I lived for a while. "

"Rogers City, Michigan," Laurent said plainly.

"I didn't live in Rogers City; I lived about 30 miles away in Hillman."

"Oh," Laurent said. "How long did you live there?"

"I lived there for about four years," Ellie said.

"Oh," Laurent said. "Why did you leave?"

"It's complicated," Ellie said shifting her eyes down. Hillman was not the place she wanted remember especially right now. She left that behind when she left Novalie Smith behind.

Laurent said nothing else and Ellie crossed her legs. Occasionally Ellie would shift when she got uncomfortable and Laurent would check his wrist watch.

Laurent and Ellie waited another half an hour and then their flight was up in the sky. Laurent graciously stood to the side while Ellie took the window seat sitting down next to her once she had gotten herself situated.

"I'm surprised," Ellie said looking at him. "I didn't peg you for someone who traveled coach."

"I generally travel by private jet or first class at the least. I thought this would be more comfortable for you, more, inconspicuous."

Ellie almost felt insulted, but she knew that Laurent didn't mean to poke fun at the fact that she never had any money to travel more than coach. She quietly thanked him and looked out the window as the plane began its ascent.

Several boring hours later Ellie and Laurent made it to Japan. Ellie made a phone call from Laurent's cell phone.

Fifteen minutes later Matsuda drove up in Ellie's station wagon.

"Thank you," Ellie said to Matsuda as he handed her the keys.

"You can drop me off at my apartment," Matsuda said. "I hope it's too much out of your way."

"Of course not Matsuda," Ellie said getting into the driver's side of her station wagon. Matsuda opened the back door on the driver's side and climbed into the backseat. Laurent sat in the passenger seat next Ellie. Ellie turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to life. Ellie smiled. At least driving still felt natural for her.

Matsuda gave Ellie instructions to his apartment building. Ellie laughed when she finally heard the last of the directions to the apartment complex. Matsuda looked horrified. Apparently he thought that she found his apartment building to be some kind of joke.

"That's the same building Laurent and I will be living in," Ellie said finally after she stopped chuckling.

"What number?" Matsuda asked.

"324," Ellie said.

"Oh," Matsuda said.

"What is your apartment number?" Ellie asked after a few moments of silence.

"325," Matsuda said.

"Oh so we will be neighbors!" Ellie exclaimed.

"Yeah," Matsuda said blushing.

The rest of the ride was silent. Laurent never said a word during the entire conversation and stared straight ahead. Apparently he wasn't taking the move well. "Or he doesn't want Matsuda to catch on that he isn't actually Laurent, but is actually L," she thought to herself.

Ellie dropped Matsuda off at the apartment building and then drove to the storage bin that she had rented. She loaded the boxes into her wagon and noted how bare her apartment was going to look. She had been fortunate enough to have a Murphy bed in the small apartment she had rented before moving in with the Kira Investigation team. She had a feeling this apartment was nice enough to not have a bed that folded out of the wall that heaven only knows how many people have slept on it.

"We don't have any furniture," Ellie said quietly.

"Already taken care of," Laurent said smirking.

"Is there anything you didn't take care of?" Ellie asked smiling.

Laurent helped her unload the boxes in the new apartment and Ellie smiled when she walked through the door and saw the furniture was similar to the house they would be living in at the end of this semester.

No sooner than Ellie had gotten all of the boxes unpacked and Laurent had helped her put everything away, Laurent was in front of the computer in the den just off the living room. Ellie flopped on the couch in their living room. She decided that she wouldn't let it get to her.

She spent the first night in their new apartment on the couch watching Laurent type away as her eyes slowly began to droop and sleep overcame her.


	6. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

_**Chapter 6: One Step Forward, Two steps back. **_

_Hello my readers, I come bearing a new chapter. I've been working on this one for a while, but I have had a lot going on with nursing school and looking for another job, so I haven't been able to work on this as much as I would have liked to. I hope to have the next chapter up before Christmas, which seems like a decent goal. I may have a couple up by then, but no promises. I don't own death note, its characters, or anything pertaining to its storyline. I do own Ellie, but that's about it. _

Ellie cracked her eyes open. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep on the couch. She stretched uncomfortably. She really wished she had made it to the bed. Her arm was tingling and cold and it felt heavy as blood rushed back into it. She shook it out and did the same with her other arm and legs when she was finally in the sitting position. She yawned and looked into the office. She saw that Laurent wasn't in front of the computer. Ellie was a little surprised. She hadn't seen him away from the computer much since they had been living together, though that had only been a week since L took on his new identity.

Ellie walked toward her small kitchen area. She noted that Laurent's room was right across from the kitchen. She cracked the door open slightly and saw him lying on the bed fully clothed. She smiled. She was glad he was able to get a little sleep.

She made herself a small breakfast before readying herself for her first day back in classes. It had only been a week, but that week had changed her significantly. In that time she had gotten married, had to hide the identity of her new husband, and she had moved into a new apartment. It was all going to take a while to get used to, and Ellie knew that when she started to get used to things May would have come around and she would be moving back to Britain with Laurent and waiting for the babies to be born. She was lucky in that she was able to adapt quickly, but it still left her head spinning.

Ellie packed her books into her backpack and walked toward the bus stop. She had checked the bus route she would be taking from the apartments. She was happy to say that it wouldn't be any more complicated than when she had lived in the building with the Kira Investigation team.

Laurent awoke hours later. The sun was shining through the blinds on the window. He wondered how long he had been asleep. He could only half remember walking to the bedroom and lying down to sleep. He yawned and checked the clock. It was almost noon. He was surprised in his ability to sleep. The only time he had slept this well was the night Ellie had conceived their children. He had gotten a few nights of sleep, enough to diminish the circles around his eyes, but he had never felt as rested as he had that night.

Ellie faced several questions about her whereabouts, apparently, disappearing for more than a week was something that could cause worry. Ellie was glad that she hadn't made many friends so she only had to answer to her professors and not a big group of people. She already felt exhausted after her first two classes and she still had two left.

Only one professor congratulated her on her marriage. Most seemed to think it was a bad idea to get married in the middle of college, especially so quickly. No one had even known that Ellie was betrothed. Ellie finished her last two classes and was glad to be on the subway heading to her bus route to get to the apartment she shared with Laurent.

Thirty minutes later Ellie was in front of her apartment building. She smiled and began walking toward the building. She heard someone call out her name and looked to see that Matsuda was behind her.

"How are you?" Ellie asked smiling.

"I'm doing well," Matsuda said. "How was the first day back?"

"A little difficult, but I'm sure I'll be able to catch up," Ellie said. "How is work? I know you are probably not allowed to say much about it, but do you enjoy being back in a more conventional setting for law enforcement?"

"I do miss the action of investigation team, but it is nice to have more stable hours," Matsuda said. "Of course these aren't always stable either, but they are more predictable than they were with the investigation team."

"I understand completely," Ellie said. "It is nice to have a normal sleep schedule again," she added laughing.

Matsuda joined her in her laughter. He noticed her heavy backpack and said, "Let me help you carry that you look weighed down."

Ellie tried to object, but Matsuda had already grabbed her backpack. She had to admit it did take a load off her back. Ellie followed Matsuda up the stairs.

"Well, this is my apartment," Matsuda said pointing to the door to the left of Ellie's. "Would you like to step inside?"

Ellie looked at the door of her own apartment. She had no idea what Laurent was doing right now or if he expected her home, she decided a few minutes couldn't hurt and it was obvious that Matsuda was excited about showing off his apartment.

"That's sounds fine," Ellie said as Matsuda unlocked the door and opened it for Ellie.

Ellie walked into his apartment and was happy to note that it was set up very similarly to Ellie's apartment. He had a two bedroom model as well. Ellie wondered what he had tucked in the second bedroom, but she refrained from asking. She didn't want to ask him anything too personal.

"What do you think?" Matsuda asked as he placed Ellie's bag on his kitchen counter.

"It's homey," Ellie said looking around. It was neat and tidy, but definitely lived in. She liked how cozy it felt. She knew that eventually her own apartment would feel like that, but right now it felt sterile and prepackaged, like a demo home.

"Would you like a tour?" Matsuda asked.

"Sure," Ellie said.

Twenty minutes later Ellie finally took a look at the watch she had tucked under her shirt. She had worn it every single day since she had gotten it back from L the day that she found out she was pregnant. She had even found a way to wear it on her wedding day. She attached it to an anklet and wore it that way. Today, however, she had it back to its normal state of being on a chain around her neck.

"I can't believe it's getting so late," Ellie said. "I should really be going."

"I keep forgetting you are married now," Matsuda said. "You can bring him over as well if you would like," Ellie said.

"He isn't really good in social situations," Ellie said.

Matsuda was reminded of the awkward car ride when Ellie got back from Watarai's memorial service. He nodded. "Well I hope that I am able to see you again."

"Well," Ellie said. "We are neighbors."

Matsuda walked Ellie out of his apartment. Ellie locked eyes with Laurent. He had been coming out of the apartment to get the mail and he looked as If he were jealous. Ellie wasn't used to that expression covering Laurent's face. Ellie quickly said goodbye to Matsuda. She hugged him surprisingly both Matsuda and Laurent. She hadn't really meant to do it, but she was surprised to see that Laurent's face was scrunched up even more adding to Ellie's theory that he was jealous. Ellie had never pegged Laurent as the jealous type. Ellie followed him into their apartment and Laurent finally spoke.

"Did you forget something?" he asked plainly knowing well what she had forgotten, but nevertheless enjoyed watching Ellie's face scrunch up the way it did when she was having to retrace her steps, or she was trying to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Laurent had laughed watching her do it one day while she was getting ready for classes and then remembered her getting a surprised look on her face that some people called the "aha" moment. She then would run up the stairs and grab whatever book/supply she had forgotten. Laurent waited a few moments and then, as if by clockwork, Ellie's face lit up the way he had expected.

"Yes, I forgot my backpack," Ellie said blushing. She usually wasn't one to forget thing and she was certainly embarrassed that Laurent had to be the one to remind her. "I suppose I should retrieve that now."

Laurent nodded. Ellie walked out of the apartment and knocked on the door of their neighbor. Matsuda opened the door with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Ellie-chan?" Matsuda asked. "Did you forget something?"

"Yes," Ellie said blushing again. "I forgot my books," Ellie said.

"Oh," Matsuda said. "Well come in, I think you must have left them on the counter."

"Yes," Ellie said. "That's right. When you were giving me the tour I set the books down because they were very heavy."

Ellie grabbed her backpack and put it on her back. She slumped a little under its weight. "Have a good night," Ellie said as she exited his apartment.

She walked through the door of her own apartment. Laurent was back in his office and Ellie dumped her books in the middle of the living room. She had a lot of work to catch up on and she wasn't about to let herself fall even more behind. She studied there on the floor for several hours before she finally looked up and saw the Laurent was watching her intently.

Ellie blinked a couple times as their eyes met. Laurent didn't look away. "How long have you been watching me?" Ellie asked.

Laurent said nothing and turned back to his work. He was apparently embarrassed the Ellie had caught him watching her. Ellie grinned and pulled her hair in front of her face. She didn't want him seeing her grin, because he might know that she had caught on to what he was doing and he would stop. Ellie admitted to herself that she enjoyed the little game, though there was no real relationship between the two of them but there were small things that he did to show that he was still interested in some way. Ellie was of course still in love with him, but Ellie knew it was hard for him to feel the same way and wouldn't push him like she had done on their wedding night. She had thought he was pretty receptive to the idea, but her hands on his bare skin still seemed to be a boundary that stood between the two of them. Ellie decided she would take it slow, even if nothing every progressed. He was there to stand by her side, even if there wasn't much of a physical relationship. Ellie couldn't ask much more from him, she had been the one to seduce him to get them both into this mess in the first place.

Ellie sighed. She didn't think of her children as a mess that had happened, but she had wished that all of this had happened under different circumstances. She was certain there were women out there who would love to be in her place, taken care of by a wealthy man who showed no real interest in her which would leave her open to affairs or leading a separate life. Ellie didn't want that at all. She loved Laurent. She hoped that one day they could at least be friends if nothing else.

She closed her book and stretched out on the floor lying down on her back. She had been sitting with books scattered around her, but she couldn't study with all of this on her mind, and the truth was she probably needed a break anyway. She had been studying almost non-stop for four hours. She allowed her eyes to scan over to the office so she could watch Laurent. He intently typed on the computer and was seemingly lost to the world. Ellie wondered what he must be doing. She had honestly never really seen him spend time away from the computer screen, but he had always been working on something. Now Ellie had no idea what he was working on. He had stopped working the Kira case in order to allow Ellie, himself, and their family to go underground. She was interested, but she didn't want to push. If it wasn't dangerous, then it wasn't her place to question. She still had things that were very private to her that she still wouldn't feel comfortable sharing with Laurent and she guessed that he too had a few skeletons in his closet. She shifted her eyes from Laurent and out the window of her apartment. She couldn't see much from a lying angle, but she saw a bird land on the ledge of the window. She hadn't encountered too many animals in the city like this and she wished she were back in her home in Britain where the rolling acres behind the house probably held refuge to many different types of animal. She had grown up in nature, living with Laurel and Felicia. She shook her head. She didn't want to think about that. She wanted to think about Britain instead. She wanted to think about the sunlight falling in cascades in her room on a late summer afternoon. She wanted to think about the baby basinets that would soon occupy the nursery. She wanted to think about the pastel paint that would cover the walls. She wanted to think about the babies smiling up at her and reaching out for Laurent to hold them. She thought about Laurent's face lightening up when he picked up his baby. She thought about him lying next to her still asleep in the early morning.

Ellie hadn't realized that she was daydreaming until she heard footsteps walking towards her. She opened her eyes and sat up. It seemed the Laurent had gotten up to get himself a cup of tea.

"Oh," Ellie said. "I could have gotten that for you."

"I thought you were asleep," Laurent said politely.

"No, just resting," Ellie said not embarrassed by her daydreaming. She hadn't let herself drift off like that in a long time. If Ellie hadn't heard his footsteps she knew very well that she would have started having less wholesome fantasies about her husband.

"Would you like some tea?" Laurent asked offering her a cup of the tea he had brewed.

Ellie nodded and stood up to make her way over to Laurent. "Yes that sounds lovely."

Ellie walked toward Laurent and grabbed a teacup from the small teacup rack on the countertop. Her arm brushed his as she turned toward the counter to find the sugar container. The small touch sent shivers down her spine, but in a good way.

"Pardon me," Laurent said pulling his arm closer to his side. Ellie politely pulled her arm toward her side as well setting her teacup on the counter so he could fill it while she searched for the sugar.

Laurent began filling her cup with tea and, in an attempt to strike up a conversation, said "Were you able to get your books from Matsuda's apartment?"

Ellie turned around to face him. He wore the same strange expression on his face that had been wearing the first time she had stepped out of Matsuda's apartment. He was certainly jealous, but Ellie didn't see why.

"Yes," Ellie said as she faced him. In the small kitchenette area they were face to face just a couple of feet apart. In this close space she could reach out and touch him with ease. She edged her face closer to his. She could feel the heat of his breath on her cheek. She brushed her lisp against his softly before pulling away from him slightly.

This light gesture was enough to evoke a response in Laurent, though he would never show it. He stared at her in semi-shock nonetheless.

"I'm sorry," Ellie said cursing herself for her lack of self-control. Hadn't she just wanted to take things slow with him?

Laurent cleared his throat and handed her the teacup he had filled with tea. She was surprised by how normally he handled the teacups. When they had been working on the Kira Investigation team he had handled his cups, well awkwardly to say the least. He handled all things awkwardly, including her during that one intimate moment they had shared. "You know, you don't have to put on a show here. It is just me who will see," Ellie said quietly.

"This is who I am from now on. I had best be practiced at it to avoid slipping up when I have to make a public appearance," Laurent replied.

Ellie nodded. She had forgotten of course that Laurent had to have a life outside of this apartment. He had to go on with things as if they were a normal family as to not rouse suspicion. "Do you plan on making many public appearances?" she asked.

"As many as I need to make," Laurent replied in his usual apathetic manner.

"So what are you working on, if I may ask?" Ellie said.

"It is private," Laurent said walking back to the study/office. "I had actually better get back to that," he said turning the corner to once again disappear into the confines of his office. Ellie sighed loudly. Just when she thought there might be some closeness between them he would pull away. She poured the tea down the sink. She wasn't feeling very well; she just wanted to lie down. She picked the textbooks up off the floor and placed them on the kitchen table that neither of them used. Ellie walked into her bedroom took a look around. It hadn't been as nicely planned out as the house in Britain had been, but she hadn't expected that. She hadn't expected many things that she had been given. She supposed she should be grateful; this was more than she could have hoped for. Still she felt empty, always wanting more, always needing more. Perhaps she too would have to change, she would become practiced to the point where she no longer felt. She sighed again and slipped into the bed. There was no changing who she was no matter how much she wanted to. She knew the same was true for Laurent he just wasn't ready to admit it to her yet.

Laurent typed at his computer for a while. He had a stock business, which is what he considered his main title, but when he wasn't checking the stocks, he was investigating. He couldn't stop, he had wanted to for the safety of his family, but it was part of who he was. He didn't investigate into dangerous crimes, but every once in a while he would take on one of his alias's and solve a few tough cases. He smiled as he saw three new emails in his inbox from agencies requiring the help of one of his aliases. He looked into the living room. It seemed Ellie had retired, which was better for him. He found himself too distracted by her when she sat in the living room. He couldn't get much work done, but now he could focus all his attention on the cases.


	7. I Never Told You

_**Chapter 7: I Never Told You**_

_After relieving a new review I remembered that I had this chapter sitting in my hard drive, unfinished. I worked on the rest of it and here it is. I do not own death note or its characters (as much as I would love to). Please keep reading and reviewing and I will try to keep the chapters coming. _

Ellie turned in the last of her paperwork so that she would graduate that semester rather than continue on with her courses the next year in a bridge program between associates and bachelors as she had been hoping to. Ellie had made the necessary contacts back to her college in the United States so they would know that she would graduating that year. It seemed that they would be sending the diploma to her new address if she happened to not be able to make it to the ceremony. Ellie seemed to find that the best. She didn't want any connection to old life, she was continuing on a new path and it would just be best to burn the bridges behind her. She had found it fortunate that she hadn't made many friends in either college she had attended, it made the whole burning the bridge concept so much easier to follow. She sighed, that lifestyle had its downfalls of course and Ellie knew them well. The cold gripping loneliness and hopelessness that filled her from time to time was a constant reminder that she was alone. She was married, but she felt more distant from Laurent than ever. Sometimes she felt like she was an outsider looking in on her life.

Ellie worked on completing her assignments, but as the second month of her pregnancy bloomed into her third she began getting "the sickness". She was miserable not only in the morning but late at night when she would normally be sleeping all the way into the late afternoon. There was only a small window of opportunity of calm stomach and that was during the majority of her classes which didn't give her many chances to grab a bite to eat. She was trying to get what she could between classes, knowing that she had to at least try to eat to keep herself and her children nourished.

Laurent was out having a meeting, Ellie was surprised. Since she had confronted him about outside appearances he had been gone at least three days out of the week with whatever line of business he was in. She curled on the couch with a thick fleece blanket and cried. She felt like she was going crazy, like she couldn't keep anything in check. She knew Laurent was probably out because he was avoiding her and her crazy mood swings. She wanted to be able to control them, but she rarely had control of anything in her life anymore.

Ellie walked outside of the apartment to get her mail and ran into Matsuda on her way down the stairs to the mailboxes.

"Good afternoon Ellie-chan," Matsuda said waving and walking over to her. "How are you enjoying this weather?"

Ellie hadn't thought about the weather as she was focused on the chaos of her life. She guessed it was probably getting warmer and it wasn't raining that day. "It's nice." Ellie said.

"I'm guessing you probably have plans with your husband to enjoy the weather," Matsuda said pretending to look through is mail.

"No, he's out on business." Ellie said trying to not show her emotion in front of Matsuda. She used to be very good about keeping her emotions to herself, but it seemed lately with the stress of everything and the pregnancy she was having a hard time keeping such things to herself.

"I'm sorry," Matsuda said. He knew what was going on of course, this Laurent guy had gotten her pregnant, married her, and now was never around. He only felt the need to fulfill his commitment to marry her, but didn't feel the need to treat her like she was worthy of his time.

"It's a hectic time for both of us," Ellie said trying to defend Laurent. "If it weren't for the fact that I don't have classes on Saturday I wouldn't have even noticed he was gone with my being gone just as often."

"Whatever you say Ellie," Matsuda said shrugging as he walked up the stairs.

Ellie walked back into her apartment and sifted through the mail. There wasn't much, she noted there was a utility bill, bill for the internet, and she remembered that she needed to pay the landlord the rent within the week. She opened her laptop and sat on the couch. She electronically paid all of the bills that she could and then she grabbed a light jacket from her bedroom closet and made sure she had her debit card so that she could find an ATM and withdraw the money she needed for the rent. She might as well pay it now, if she didn't during this time of calm, she wouldn't remember to do it later, nor would she have the free time.

She zipped the jacket and walked out of her apartment. She walked out of the apartment building and stood at the bus stop to wait for the bus. She would have to go to the post office to withdraw her money from an ATM because in Japan you couldn't pull from foreign accounts at just any ATM. She dreaded the bus ride, as it made her nauseous. She didn't usually get nauseous from bus rides, but this morning sickness had made her more susceptible to motion sickness. She boarded the bus and waited for her stop. Once she got there and withdrew the money and a little bit extra to keep under the mattress, so she wouldn't have to do this next month as well. After she had gotten that taken care of, she decided to walk back. Surely it would take her a while to walk back and it would be easier to take the bus, but she didn't know if her stomach could handle another ride on the bus. If she got tired then she would take the bus the rest of the way, but she was determined to be able to make it back to the apartment without getting sick.

She began walking and eventually she ran into a familiar face. She was shocked out how many people she had been running into in such a highly populated place. She was surprised to find Light out in this area, not that it was a bad area, but he didn't live nearby. Ellie cautiously approached him, not saying a word and passing by him. He didn't say anything to her either and Ellie felt a shiver go through her. She ignored it. She knew that he had something to do with L's "death" and she was certain that L agreed with her suspicion. L had always been suspicious of Light, but Ellie usually gave people the benefit of the doubt. It was probably not one of her best traits.

She continued on her walk passing quite a few shops. She wondered if she should start buying any special vitamins. She knew that it was never too early to start a supplement and the healthier she was the healthier the babies would be. She walked into a store that sold herbs and looked around for a while, finally asking the woman behind the counter what she recommended for pregnant mothers.

The woman smiled at her and congratulated her. She then had another woman, presumably the woman behind the counter's daughter, direct her to all the herbs and supplements that were recommended for pregnant mothers. She purchased all of them, knowing that money was not really a worry of hers anymore. She knew she shouldn't get in the habit of doing that, but when it came to her babies, she wasn't going to chance not picking up one of the herbs. She would further research them later before she started taking them. She would also schedule an appointment with an OB/GYN later in the week to get advice.

She continued on her walk back to the apartment. It was getting darker and Ellie was grateful that the last stretch of her trip could be taken by bus though she began to regret it as soon as the bus began moving.

Her stomach lurched and she knew if she didn't get off soon the contents of her stomach would be all over the floor of the bus. She pulled the cord on the bus and the bus stopped a few moments later. Ellie got off the bus quickly grabbing all of her bags and then barely making it to the garbage can a few feet away from the stop before spilling the contents of her stomach. She heaved into the trash can and finally after many spells of dry heaving felt the urge going away. She was happy that one of the herbs she had picked up was ginger, which she had already known would be useful during her pregnancy, not really for the baby, but for her motion and morning sickness.

She sat down on the bench near the bus stop to get her bearings before walking again. She knew with how dark it was becoming she should wait for the next bus, but with the way her stomach was feeling she wasn't sure if that was going to be an option.

She waited for more than ten minutes before feeling well enough to stand up and walk another half a mile to the apartment complex. She cursed at herself for traveling so far away while being sick. She should have waited for Laurent, but Laurent wasn't talking to her much anymore.

She made it to the apartment complex unscathed and walked up the stairs to her own apartment. She turned the key in the lock and found that Laurent was home and in his office. She hung up her jacket and began putting the herbs she had purchased away when Laurent said, "I took the liberty of paying the rent this month and you have your own debit card through our joint account so you will no longer need to make unnecessary trips across town in your condition."

Ellie was shocked. First of all he had paid their rent, something she hadn't expected him to keep up with as she was the one who had paid it the first month, second he seemed to actually know that she was getting sick, which meant that he paid more attention than she thought to what was going on, and third he knew that she had made a trip across town. "How did you know I was across town today?" she asked.

"I have access to your debit account," Laurent said shrugging. "I transferred what little money you had left in the account to our joint account and cancelled the account you had before. I figured it would just be easier for you to use our money rather than the small amount you were able to accumulate while working with the Task Force."

"Why didn't you talk to me first?" Ellie demanded.

"It was more sensible to fix the problem as soon as I encountered it, I noticed that I did not leave my usual cash in the bread box for you to pay the bills with and since all of my money transfer are made electronically the logical thing would be to make it so you could use our money electronically as well," Laurent said not looking up from his computer.

Ellie suspected that this was his way of trying to take care of her, but something about it still felt too cold and unconnected to her. She supposed she had better start getting used to it. This was the way things were going to be from now on. "Thank you," she said as she walked to the bathroom to put away the herbs and supplements.

"I have a business dinner. I am to make an appearance….. with my wife," L said after Ellie had come back into the living room.

L turned to see Ellie's shocked face. "Of course, an excuse can be made if you would rather not make an appearance, but I am afraid I must for the sake of this identity."

"No," Ellie said. "No, it's not that I'm just… when is it?" she said stumbling over her words.

"Tomorrow night," L said. "I am picking up my suit as well as a cocktail dress in your size tomorrow morning. "

Ellie nodded still in a state of shock. She hadn't been expecting that. L turned back to his work and that's when doubt started coming over Ellie. What if she didn't fit in with Laurent's business partners or whomever was throwing the affair? She wasn't sure how many people were attending, who they were, what they would be expecting of Laurent Watakasuki's wife. If these were people who had been in business for years she had no idea how to communicate with them. This was majorly out of her comfort zone. She sucked in a big breath of air. She wasn't going to turn Laurent down. This could be the one and only thing they ever did together and she certainly wasn't taking that for granted. If nothing else she would be quiet and polite and count the seconds until the evening was over. Hopefully the evening wouldn't turn out to be a nightmare.

She thanked her lucky stars that the following evening would be Sunday night. That meant that she could spend that night getting prepared and the next morning as well. She would be able to get an adequate amount of sleep, which was always a plus. She smiled and began to get to work on her appearance. She contemplated cutting her hair, but decided against it. She decided she had better finish the last bit of her homework/studying tonight so she could leave the next day open.

After several hours of studying Ellie decided to call it quits for the night. Ellie looked into the computer room and noticed that L was not there. In her study daze she must not have even noticed that he got up and was walking around the apartment. She looked to see if the door to the bathroom was closed. The door was open and the room was unoccupied. Ellie looked in Laurent's bedroom and saw no one there. She had already passed by the kitchen/dinning room and had seen that he wasn't there. Had he been able to leave the apartment without her even noticing? She sighed. She hadn't expected him to say goodbye, but it would have been nice. Those sorts of things never happened in this household and she was aware of it.

She walked into her bedroom and saw that her bed was already occupied. "Wouldn't be the first time he has ended up in my bed," she thought to herself remembering what felt like so long ago. L had been sleepwalking and had curled up right next to Ellie in her bed. That was the day that she had found his silver pocket watch on her bedroom floor. That felt like years before, even though it had only been a few months. She decided to crawl into her bed alongside him. She convinced herself that this couldn't have happened accidentally, and if it had, well it was her bed and he was just going to have to move.

She undressed herself and slipped on a nightgown she had received from Misa as a wedding gift. Ellie was a little embarrassed about wearing the garment and she wondered if when Laurent awake, he would think she was desperate. She decided against the garment as she undressed again and shoved the skimpy lingerie nightgown to the back of her dresser. The sound of the dresser drawer closing awoke Laurent immediately. He looked up and saw the silhouette of a woman. He rubbed his eyes and the silhouette remained. He couldn't get a good look at her as it was dark, but he saw that she was only wearing a pair of underwear, no bra, no shirt, and no pants. He had forgotten what Ellie looked like undressed. He wondered what she must be doing in his bedroom when he realized that the bed he was in was not his own. He jumped out of the bed without thinking, and Ellie shrieked as she pulled her arms over her chest to try and cover her breasts.

"I'm sorry," Laurent said immediately trying to direct his attention away from her half-naked body.

Ellie blushed, though it couldn't be seen in the dark. She looked down at herself after he left the room. "Am I fat?" she wondered as she looked at herself in the mirror. "I mean maybe I've gained a few pounds, from the baby, but I shouldn't be that repulsive that he feels he needs to take his eyes off me. I'm his wife; does he think I'm ugly now?"

Ellie continued to question herself as she pulled on a frumpy nightgown that she hadn't worn in a while. "I might as well be comfortable it's not as if anyone wants to see anyway," she thought.

Laurent tried not to think about Ellie's body as he walked into his own bedroom. He knew he wasn't getting back to sleep. He felt unusual, his entire body was tingling. He had thoughts going through his mind that he often didn't think about when it came to Ellie. They had only had sex once, and had come close a couple times, but never done it again. He didn't want Ellie to think that now that he had impregnated her that that was the only way he thought about her now. He thought she was smart and talented, a perfect partner for him.

He walked to his computer room and sat down in his chair once again. He wasn't going to be sleeping so he might as well try to get something done.

Ellie awoke the next morning and sighed. She started a bath and took out the scented bubble bath she had received ages ago. "Marshmallow and warm vanilla," she said laughing to herself. "I knew I would get to this bubble bath eventually."

She soaked in the tub for almost an hour before draining the water. She looked at her hair and decided she had to do something different with it for once. It hung down by her shoulders. After 30 pins and an hour later Ellie looked back at herself in the mirror. It was strange seeing this much of her face, but it wasn't a bad look she supposed, much better than the ever boring look she seemed to be having as of late.

She walked into the living room in a fuzzy blue bathrobe. She saw that Laurent was gone, probably out picking up his suit and her dress. She wondered what she was going to say to these people once she got to the dinner.


	8. I'm Yours

_**Chapter 8: I'm Yours**_

_Huge lag in my writing as of late. For this I apologize immensely (duck out of the way of a piece of fruit). I recently took a full time job (because as much as I love writing this fanfiction it doesn't exactly pay the bills). So since yesterday was my day off I tried to write a bit and I came up with this chapter. It is quite long so I hope it tides you all over until I am able to write another. I do not own Death Note or its characters, plot etc. in any way. _

Laurent was quite taken aback by the sight of his wife when he walked through the door. She was sitting on the couch in a familiar blue bathrobe. He remembered seeing her in it, when he room was being monitored during the Kira investigation. Now that was just a distant memory and so much had happened between then and now. He cleared his throat as he entered the room and Ellie blushed. She hadn't been expecting him to be back so soon.

"I picked up the dress," he said, tossing her a bag. Ellie looked inside and saw a black cocktail dress. She noticed it was a tad shorter than she had been expecting coming down to her knees. It looked as if it was going to be tight. She suddenly got very self conscious. She was pregnant; she wasn't going to look good in a dress like this. Hell, she would never wear a dress like this even if she wasn't pregnant. She wondered why Laurent had chosen a dress like this.

Laurent watched her eyeing the dress. He saw her face drop when she saw it. When he had imagined her in it at the store, well, it was hard not to get a reaction. He had to see her in it. He wasn't sure why but he couldn't get the image of her from the night before out of his head. Smooth, creamy pale skin, hourglass shaped body, seeing this dress made him think of how nicely it would accommodate these features. Now he watched her frowning at it wondering why she was unhappy with it when he had gotten such pleasure from the idea of seeing her in it. "You don't like it?" Laurent asked.

"I'm pregnant," Ellie said putting the dress to the side. "I don't think I can wear a dress like this."

Laurent took another good look at her trying to read and manipulate her thoughts as he would have before he married her. She was more difficult to read now that she was his than she had ever been during the investigation. He could see she was disappointed about something, but he couldn't place quite what it was. "It was the only dress they had," he lied as he tried to keep from saying what he was really thinking which was, "I'd love to see you in that dress."

Ellie nodded. She had expected something like that. She would just have to slip it on and hope it didn't show too much of the baby bump she was beginning to acquire.

Several hours later, as the afternoon faded into the evening Laurent was dressing himself as Ellie was in her own room doing the same. He looked at himself in a suit trying not to laugh. Watarai had always been the one wearing a suit, not him. Laurent barely recognized himself with the dyed hair, the suit, the lack of dark circles under his eyes, and the small amount of color to his skin. He straightened the tie in the living room and he heard the door open with a creak in Ellie's room. He watched her walk out of the room and held back a gasp. He had imagined her when picking out the dress, but he was surprised when he saw her. Her hair was up as it had been earlier and he could see her face fully. He could faintly, if he were looking closely, make out a small bump in the dress where he guessed their children were. He tried to keep his usual cold demeanor; he could already feel an uncomfortable tightness in the pants that would be hard to hide all night.

Ellie and Laurent arrived at the dinner party on time. The house was enormous and Ellie and Laurent were welcomed in by the butler and taken to the parlor where the business associates were meeting. Ellie and Laurent were the youngest members by far attending said get together. Most of the business associates were middle aged or looking as if they were close to retiring. Many of them bragged of grown children who were doctors, lawyers, etc. Ellie felt heat rush to her face in the form of a blush when she realized she was the only woman among the group who was wearing such a short dress. She wanted to pull the dress up to hide the cleavage that was finding its way out. She felt like a tramp in comparison to these refined women, and she felt at once that she didn't belong.

Laurent introduced Ellie to his business associates and saw the scowls from their wives. He could see how uncomfortable Ellie was and was almost ready to make an excuse for her to leave when dinner was called. They were swept away into the grand dining room and seated at the table. Laurent felt uncomfortable watching his business associate looking down his wife's dress.

Sitting through dinner was uncomfortable. Ellie tried to shift so that so much of her cleavage wasn't hanging out, but it was to no avail. She tried to sit quietly waiting for it to be over. It had been a mistake to accept. She was seated between one of Laurent's business associates and Laurent. She felt his business associates gaze on her and tried to ignore it as best she could.

Laurent watched Ellie, and then watched everyone else in the room. He realized now that the scowls from the wives earlier were not because of the length of Ellie's dress, but were because they were jealous of the attention said dress was getting her. He realized then that most of his business associates had at least given her a small look over appraising her as if she were a cut of beef. He realized that these men couldn't touch her, but he could. The woman who brought so much unwanted attention to herself was his. He touched her hand lightly feeling its warmth. Ellie looked over at him with a look of surprise on her face. His hand moved to her stomach where he rubbed the small bump before setting his hand back on his lap. She tried not to blush and continued eating.

Ellie felt heat rising in her. She tried hard to ignore how moist it was becoming between her legs. All he had to do was touch her and it was sending her over the edge. She excused herself to the washroom. She walked to the washroom almost getting lost when she heard two female voices. She knew she shouldn't be tempted by curiosity, but she couldn't help but hear Laurent's name and slid out of sight in order to hear the conversation.

"Did you see his wife?" One of the blond middle aged women said. It was obvious she had had a breast implant and perhaps a facial lift.

The other woman laughed. It was an obnoxious laugh. The woman had blond hair as well, but it was obvious that her hair was bleached to be a platinum blond. The woman had wrinkles that she was trying to hide that made her face look like it was a permanent scowl. "Anita did you see the way your husband was looking at her? You better start putting out or he might just try to get underneath that whorish dress of hers."

Ellie cringed slightly, but continued listening. "I already know that Sarah. He has already cheated on me with some other man's wife. Granted this one is younger, but did you see the baby bump on her. I heard through the grape vines that they are newlyweds. Imagine that newlyweds with a child already on the way. I guess that's the only way a girl like that would be able to be present at a dinner like tonight. She is obviously a seductress who caused a young millionaire to knock her up and then the man married her out of honor. Did you see how out of place she looked? Well, I'll tell you one thing, if that little whore thinks she can sleep with my husband, I'll do her one better. That Laurent is a good looking guy, I'd like to give him a tour, of my bedroom that is." Anita said laughing.

"Well after your finished I think I'd like a turn with him as well. Those eyes, he looks like he knows his way around a woman." Sarah said.

Ellie couldn't listen to anymore. She felt anger rising in her chest. These women knew nothing about her and they wanted to sleep with her husband. Granted she had only slept with him once, but that wasn't the point. He was hers; he wouldn't sleep with another woman would he? Ellie's stomach turned at the thought and she made it to the washroom in time to throw up.

After a few minutes of throwing up she wiped her mouth and walked back into the dining room. The meal was almost over and the business meeting would be in the other room. This meant that Ellie was sitting in a room with the rest of the wives waiting for the meeting to conclude.

Ellie sat patiently trying to ignore the whispering she knew that it was all chatter about how much of a slut she apparently was. Those words still stung, but not as much as the thought of these other women looking her husband over. She thought about it and she could see the appeal. To her Laurent was L, and L wasn't exactly what most women would deem attractive. Still she had fallen in love with him. She sighed hoping the meeting would be over soon.

Laurent watched one of the men leave the meeting to use the restroom. He had been one of the only men who hadn't brought his wife. This man had also been giving Ellie some very strange looks and his grip tightened on the table just thinking about it. He excused himself to use the washroom as well, he had to be sure that this man wasn't going after her.

Ellie held her head down and noticed that someone was now standing in front of her. She sighed, she was sort of hoping the women would just keep talking about her as if she wasn't there rather than approaching her. She looked up and it wasn't any of the women. It was a man, probably in his early thirties. She watched the women giving her a dirty look, worse than they had all night. She remembered that this man had not brought his wife with him.

"Can I help you?" She asked as he just stood in front of her.

"Yes," the words rolled of his tongue layered in seduction. "I believe you can. Would you walk with me for a while, I could use some fresh air."

Ellie looked over and saw the women's scowls turn into shock. "I should really stay here and wait for my husband," she said quietly.

"You are obviously not enjoying yourself," the man said. "I know you would very much like to get away from this chittering group of gossip spreading women."

Ellie looked over to see the women chittering as he had described. "I suppose a walk wouldn't be bad," she said.

As they walked Ellie was aware that they were getting farther and farther from the entrance of the house. She had turned so many corners that she couldn't remember where she was. She tried to make small talk with him as the silence was getting very uncomfortable.

"Where is your wife?" Ellie asked.

"I'm divorced." The man said.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ellie said feeling more and more uncomfortable by the moment.

The man laughed. His laugh was light and airy. "Don't be, she was a bitch. I married her to make my mother happy, the woman I married was very much like her in many ways including the way she cheated on me with almost every man she came into contact with."

"You're mother?" Ellie asked.

"You met her earlier today. Anita James."

Ellie cringed. No wonder the women were giving her dirty looks; the only thing worse than sleeping with her husband would be sleeping with her son.

"I think we should probably go back," Ellie said looking around trying to figure out which way back was.

"No," the man said. "I want to know more about you."

"There isn't really much to say," Ellie said contemplating whether she should run back or not.

"How long have you been married to that Laurent fellow?" the man asked.

"Long enough," Ellie said.

"Ah, so not very long at all then," the man said. "Yet though you are a newlywed he barely touches you at all, why is that?" The man asked.

Ellie knew it was a rhetorical question. She stayed silent as the man laughed and continued, "I bet you've never slept with him more than once."

Ellie stayed silent wondering how he knew all this. He smirked at her. "It's a shame," he said to her. "You could have a man who wants you every night; one that wants you at this very moment."

Ellie backed away from him. "I think I would like to go back now," she said.

"Not before I am finished," the man said continuing to walk. Ellie stood in place.

"Ellie, think of what they will say if they see you standing in this house lost. You were not given permission to snoop around and how do you think that will look to your husband?"

Ellie sighed and followed him. She hoped that if she answered all of his questions he would let her go. She had really gotten herself in a pickle this time.

"What do you do for a living, let me guess housewife?" The man asked.

"No," Ellie said glad that she had finally fooled his assumptions.

"Ah a working girl, this only adds to your character," he said. "What sort of job does you have then my dear?"

"I'm a nurse," she said quietly.

"Ah, a very noble profession," he said smiling. "You are quite a diamond in the rough Ellie," he said to her.

She wished he would stop using her name. "I want to ask a question now," she said.

He grinned. "By all means, ask away."

"What is your name?"

He flashed his blue eyes at her. "Edmund," he said obviously a bit embarrassed.

"Ah, that's your father's name too isn't it?" Ellie asked knowing she finally had something over him.

"Yes, you would be correct," he said obviously not in such a fantastic mood anymore.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked.

"You answered one of my questions in silence so I chose to do the same for this question. I guess that brings it back to my turn then," he said. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen," Ellie said blushing.

Edmund laughed his heartiest laugh yet. "So young, I was expecting early to mid twenties. Ah well, I suppose ten years isn't too much of a difference."

"Ten years isn't too much of a difference for what?" Ellie asked.

Edmund laughed again, "I want you, I watched you walk through that door and I wanted you."

"I'm married," Ellie said stepping away from him.

"I don't care," he said.

"I'm pregnant," Ellie said as he got closer to her.

His eyes got a bit wider. "I suppose there are ways to take care of that if you wanted, you can't be very far along, but now that you mention it I can see it," he said rubbing her stomach. Ellie tried to pull away again but he caught her arm pinning her to the wall.

"I"ll scream," she said. "Someone will hear me."

"No one will hear you," he said as he pushed his mouth against hers. "I'll gag you if I have to."

"You'll do no such thing," Laurent said walking into the room. "Edmund, would you kindly take your hands off my wife." He said. "You should really be getting back to the meeting, instead of playing with things that do not belong to you."

Edmund glared at Laurent and Laurent said, "I have informed your father of where I am at this moment and he is making his way down, do you really want to bring that kind of shame on your family in front of all of the people here tonight. I suggest you leave and go back to everyone, I am leaving and taking my wife with me."

Ellie quietly sobbed as Edmund left. Laurent took a good look at her. "I shouldn't have brought you tonight. I didn't realize how much of a womanizer he was, he has been making advances at many of the women we work with as well, none of them were present tonight knowing that he would be here. I'm sorry to put you through that Ellie, I'm deeply sorry."

Ellie cried softly and Laurent held her not knowing what to do. Laurent walked her out and drove them to their apartment. When they walked inside Ellie said, "Thank you."

Laurent had never seen her look so vulnerable. His eyes widened when she leaned forward and kissed him. "At dinner, you rubbed my stomach." She said. It was not phrased as a question, but more as a statement.

"Yes," he said. He touched her stomach again. "You're beautiful," he breathed not realizing he had said it outloud.

Ellie looked up at him. She kissed him again and said, "I want you."

He realized what she had said. She wanted him, and he knew by the look in her eyes that it wasn't just his body, his skills as a detective that she wanted. She wanted him, all of him. He paused for a moment not sure of what to do. They had had sex once; he definitely didn't consider himself experienced.

**Lemon (you've been warned)**

He nervously kissed her, and she separated her lips allowing him to kiss her deeper. Laurent's knees became weak. Ellie broke their kiss and lead him into her bedroom. Laurent watched her hands as she unbuttoned his suit jacket and unstrung his tie. He felt a smile creeping to his face as the jacket slid off and she began unzipping her own dress. He helped her get the zipper all the way down and easily slid the dress off her body. The dress had been strapless with a built in support so when the dress slid down this left Ellie only standing in her underwear and heels.

The reaction from Laurent was instantaneous. Ellie watched the lump in his pants grow and began unbuttoning his shirt while he unbuttoned the pants. Soon Laurent and Ellie were both standing in only their underwear both afraid to make the next move.

Ellie swallowed nervously and hooked her fingers on the band of his underwear yanking them down quickly. Laurent followed suit doing the same to Ellie's.

Laurent took in the sight. He hadn't had much of a chance to look at her the night they had had sex for the first time. It had been very quick and spontaneous. He allowed himself more time to memorize the features. Ellie self consciously wrapped her arms around herself trying to hide any flaws. Laurent moved her arms out of the way gently. He felt one of the soft hands trailing down his chest. He shivered as it reached his stomach and stopped. Ellie looked at him as if asking if she should go on and Laurent nodded and gasped as her hand wrapped around his throbbing cock. He moaned as her hands worked their way up and down the shaft. He placed his own hands on her breasts feeling their soft warmth in his hands. He felt pressure building up as she moved her hands up and down his shaft making his breathing unsteady. He knew that he wouldn't make it inside of her if she kept going.

He grabbed her hand and brought it up to his mouth kissing it before he handed it back to her. "I don't want it to be over yet," he said.

"It never has to be over," Ellie said.

He couldn't wait any longer. Ellie watched his eyes curiously and then lay down on the bed inviting him on it with her. When he lay down she positioned herself on top of him. He shook his head and rolled her onto her back. He watched her as he positioned outside of her opening. Her face contorted in pleasure as he pushed into her. He instantly felt warmth surrounding him and her walls were gripping him so tightly it was hard not to lose it then. He slid himself part of the way out before thrusting in again. She gasped bucking her hips into him. He smiled. He must be doing something right. He experimented with it again and after a few slides in he must have hit a different spot because she moaned letting her eyes roll back. He hit that spot again and she tensed up biting her lip in pleasure. He continued ramming into that spot hearing her pant and moan. He couldn't help but moan himself as she clenched around him. He moved quickly feeling her grip and grip until she was moaning something very familiar.

"L," she moaned as he pushed in faster.

That was all he had to hear to make him completely lose control. He released his seed inside of her. Ellie also had an orgasm, squeezing out the very last drops as her walls spasmed in pleasure.

**End of Lemon**

Laurent held his exhausted wife close. She smiled at him kissing his neck gently. He put his hands through her hair and pulled her head toward his chest. Her warm breath on his chest made him smile. He couldn't imagine never feeling like this. The first time with Ellie… it hadn't been like this, there wasn't this same closeness. He knew the major difference was that she would still be here in the morning, still be his. He could have this, every night, every day, at any moment. He had never had anything like that, anything that was truly his. He held Ellie close to him. She was his.

**A/N: If you would like to see a picture of Ellie's cocktail dress it is on my website which you can find on my profile page. **


	9. Linger

_**Chapter 9: Linger**_

_I apologize x 1000 for the lateness of this chapter. As it is no surprise when working and going to college, there isn't a lot of free time, especially not in nursing school. I've been exhausted these past few months, but after studying for a pediatrics exam I finally decided to delve back into my favorite hobby, writing fanfictions. This chapter is a lot of fluff I must admit, and a bit fun to write. I have a lot more planned for this story so stick with me, and please forgive me for the time between my updates, I am a very broke nursing student and doesn't pay me to write lol. Anyway please read and review and sorry again for the delay. Enjoy _

Laurent woke up feeling warm. He stretched surprised to find himself sleeping in a bed. His hand rubbed against Ellie while stretching and he smiled. It wasn't a dream. He felt a very odd feeling in his chest. He wasn't sure what had come over him the night before. He felt less like L and more like what he was pretending to be, whoever that was. The person he was before would never have let himself get distracted by sexual intercourse. Still this wasn't all that unpleasant living a life like that.

While having time away from the Kira case, he had been looking into Ellie. He tried to hide it but the more he found the more she fascinated him. She had turned down an opportunity to fill his position twice. He and she were being chosen at the same time. The more he researched the more he began to hope that one day he could go back into detective work, and that he could logically have a partner to assist him. He had planned on finishing the Kira case someday, after recovering from the heart attack and keeping his children out of the crossfire. He felt a very strange feeling in the pit of his stomach every time he thought about the fact that he was having children. It seemed so unreal, so illogical to him that he could possibly father children. He was the L, the detective, mastermind, or at least that's who he used to be. He rubbed Ellie's stomach seeing it really for the first time. Every time he had seen the bump before she had been clothed but now she was naked and he could make out the curvature.

He looked on Ellie's nightstand and saw a folder. He opened it and saw it there, their children. This must have been the first ultrasound and by the date on the film it wasn't taken very long ago, it was actually during a stretch of time when he was gone often. He instantly felt a new and strange emotion. He had left her alone, to deal with this all on her own. He was a terrible father and an even worse husband. He looked at Ellie whose eyes fluttered open as if she knew he had been looking at her.

Ellie smiled at Laurent happy to see he was still there, but he looked distressed. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Were you ever going to show me these?" he asked holding the ultrasound film.

"I figured if you wanted to see them you would have asked. They have been sitting on the dining room table for a couple weeks," Ellie explained.

"I didn't know, I don't know anything about pregnancy, how did you get to your first appointment with the doctor?" Laurent asked obviously upset.

"I took the train," Ellie said.

"I can't believe I missed…." L began saying.

"You were busy," Ellie defended him.

"Am I a good husband?" Laurent asked. He had never felt so vulnerable.

Ellie was taken aback. Since when did he care? She looked at him strangely and said, "Yes, I believe you are."

Laurent couldn't help but suppress a smile. "I want to be there, for the next one," Laurent said.

"Well, the next ultrasound will determine the gender of the babies and the position they will be in." Ellie said.

Laurent's face lit up. He wanted to see these children that were currently inside of his wife.

"What are you looking at?" Ellie asked smiling at him.

"You," Laurent said without thinking.

Ellie blushed and tried covering herself with a blanket.

"No," Laurent said pushing the covers back. Ellie met his eyes. He looked at her for the first time in the daylight. Every time they seemed to catch one another undressed it was always very dark. He took a good look at the woman he had married.

"I guess we finally consummated the marriage," Ellie said laughing uncomfortably. She wasn't really sure what to say. Things still felt a little awkward between her and Laurent. She wasn't sure how long that would last, or if this was the way thing would be. Still, she had to admit that what they had done last night still made her toes curl.

"I suppose so," Laurent said unable to take his eyes of his wife. He noted the uncomfortable tenseness between them. He supposed it was to be expected, he barely knew Ellie. What he knew about her he had found out through investigation, not by talking to her about any of it. He had been doing his own research on the side, but now that they were having relations, he almost felt a little strange about it. She was his. He couldn't get enough of that, something belonged to him, not to L the detective, not to whatever other alter ego he was using, he was just L, a 25 year old man whose wife would be delivering twins in September.

"So where does this leave us?" Ellie asked looking him directly in the eyes.

Laurent gave her a strange look. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean L," she said her eyes never moving from his.

The words echoed in his ears. His heart sank, and he was aware of this feeling quite well. This was how it felt when you were about to lose everything. His logical mind kept him from going into complete panic as he stared back at her trying to keep a calm and collected face. "It means, that you are mine," he said with strength in his words.

Ellie's eyes widened with shock as if that were not the response she had been expecting. She closed her eyes as if thinking and then reopened them with a smile of contentment.

"Yes," she said softly. "I am yours."

Laurent held her against him running his hands through her hair. He felt guilt building in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't told her that he was still investigating. He pushed those thoughts aside for now. He would enjoy the time he had with his wife, even if he was deceiving her.

Ellie sighed as she pulled herself out of bed a half an hour later. She trotted into the bathroom blushing as Laurent watched her. She was tempted to turn around and motion for him to join her, as she was getting ready to take a shower, but she decided against it. She didn't want to rush things, she was very pleased with having this much from Laurent, and she was afraid that if she seemed like she was pushing for more he may withdraw completely.

Laurent watched Ellie curiously as she got up to follow a normal morning routine. He couldn't even remember the last time he had had to stick to a regular routine. He had somewhat rebelled against the idea, he hated getting stuck in those sort of ruts. They were bad for the process, and the process was his life. He needed to do things methodically, but not routinely, which was a concept that really only made sense to him. He heard the water start for the shower and brought himself back to the memory of her on the rooftop of the investigation building during that rainstorm when she had told him that she was pregnant. It seemed like ages ago, a lifetime ago when he heard those words, and now he could clearly see them growing inside of her.

He waited until he heard the water stop, still not moving from her bed. She came out of the bathroom a few minutes later wrapped in the blue bathrobe, her hair still covered in droplets of water. She squeaked lightly when she realized Laurent was still in her bed, naked. "Taking a personal day?" she asked as she dried her hair.

"Your bed is very comfortable," Laurent said.

"We have the same bed," Ellie said laughing as she pulled together a decent pair of clothes. It was getting warmer, especially in Japan so she felt like she could wear a short sleeved shirt with a thin jacket and be fine.

"I suppose it's just you then," he thought out loud. Ellie blushed at his comment. "You smell good," he commented.

"Strawberries," Ellie commented. "The shampoo in the shower smells like strawberries."

"You always smell good," he admitted his eyes meeting hers. She blushed, but did not want to look away. Ellie looked at the clock on the wall. Luckily, she and Laurent had woken up earlier than she needed to be awake so she still had a bit of time to spare, and that was perfect for what she had in mind. She let her bathrobe drop and Laurent took a look at her full figure, seeing the small drops of water still clinging to her skin. He reached out to touch her skin and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her down onto the bed with him her body on top of his. Their foreheads touched and he could feel her breath against his lips. He pushed his lips up to meet hers. She sighed softly moving her lips in motion with his. He moved his kisses down her neck, tasting the droplets of water on her skin. She smiled at him when their eyes met again. Her hair fell in a curtain around them catching the rays of the rising sun on the horizon.

"Perfect," Laurent whispered.

**Lemon (you've been warned)**

Ellie moved her hips so she slid herself over him and he gasped. She moved her hips to reposition causing him to move in deeper inside of her. She gasped and moaned and Laurent hit that spot again. Ellie's eyes fluttered with pleasure. He smiled and made the same motion again and again loving the reactions he got, loving the control. He would get her so close to the brink feeling her about to spill over and then back off. He enjoyed the game of cat and mouse, both of them wanting so badly to release, but both not wanting the moment to end.

Ellie began to feel the pressure building in her abdomen again, but she knew as soon as she felt it he would back off again. It got closer and closer until she could barely hold back from screaming. She pleaded with him, "Don't stop," she moaned. "Don't you dare stop," she added breathlessly.

He grinned and picked up his pace. She moaned loudly until finally they both released.

**End of Lemon**

Ellie looked at the clock again and laughed breathlessly. "All that time we saved by getting up early has now put me behind."

Laurent couldn't help laughing himself and the feeling felt strange to him. He watched Ellie dress herself and then leave. Before leaving however, she kissed him. Not a short peck, but a long passionate kiss. He felt himself getting aroused again and cursed her for doing that to him. Still he couldn't say he didn't enjoy her company, on the contrary, he was beginning to grow very fond of her. He supposed he always had been, but now at least he could admit it. He was in love; it was a very strange new feeling. He suppose most people did things the conventional way, falling in love, getting married and then having children, but of course being L, he would do things completely backward, impregnating her first, then marrying her, then falling in love with her. He supposed there was nothing traditional about the two anyway. They were both destined for something; he knew one day she would help him bring down Kira. He was just having trouble waiting for that time to come.

Ellie had a large smile plastered on her face as she walked out of her apartment. She wasn't watching where she was going and ran into Matsuda almost knocking him completely over.

"I'm so sorry," Ellie said helping him pick up the mail he had dropped. Matsuda took a good look at Ellie. She looked different he guessed. There was color in her cheeks and she almost seemed flushed. He wasn't a rocket scientist but he guessed what had taken place in the apartment next to his that morning. He gauged Ellie's expression and decided to be happy for her. He should expect that they would have sex; they were already having a baby so it wasn't as if they were both virgins, and they were married completely entitled to have sex whenever they wished. He began to see the baby bump under her shirt and decided he would call her out on it now and congratulate her.

"Ellie," Matsuda said coyly. "You look different."

Ellie blushed. She was terribly transparent. "Oh?" she said pretending as if she had no idea what he was going to say.

"Ellie, are you pregnant?" he asked.

Ellie blushed brightly. She supposed she would be asked eventually by someone so she might as well make it known. "Yes," Ellie said.

"Congratulations Ellie!" Matsuda exclaimed. "You look lovely, not that you don't always look lovely, but… pregnancy suits you," he said stumbling over his words.

Ellie watched him awkwardly trying to gather his words and couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you Matsuda, you are the first person I've told, besides Laurent of course."

"You know who would like to hear about this?" Matsuda asked. "Misa!" he said.

"Oh no, Matsuda, I don't think that would be such a good idea," Ellie said nervously. She knew how Misa was, she would be happy yes, but Ellie didn't want that much attention and she definitely knew that once it got to Misa, everyone would know.

"Why not Ellie-chan?" he asked. "Misa would be ecstatic, and you know she would want to plan your baby shower," he said.

"There isn't going to be a baby shower," Ellie said horrified at the idea of a bunch of people she didn't know touching her stomach and prodding her.

"She's not stupid Ellie; eventually she's going to notice too, it's not as if you can avoid her forever, especially while you are both living in Japan. Best to just get it over with," he said.

"You already told her didn't you?" she said now understanding why he looked guilty while he was trying to explain why she should tell Misa.

"I didn't say you were pregnant, exactly," he said.

"What did you say exactly?" she asked.

"Well I thought you might be pregnant, you just, not to be insulting, but you look pretty big for only being a couple months in," he said slyly, letting it slip that he knew that she had gotten pregnant before she got married.

"Well, erm, I'm having twins," Ellie said. "That might explain the, increased girth," Ellie said motioning to her stomach.

"Oh," Matsuda said. "Twins?" he questioned and then smiled. "How lucky Ellie!" he said. "When are you due?"

"September," Ellie said truthfully. She didn't care what people thought about her, she got married so soon after finding out she was pregnant that a few weeks of difference wasn't much, and she honestly didn't care if people talked. She didn't have many friends, and she and Laurent were happy and that's all that mattered to her.

"I am sorry about letting it slip to Misa, but you might want to tell her soon before she tries to track you down," Matsuda said.

Ellie cringed. "Well I had better get to class, it was nice seeing you Matsuda," Ellie said.

"Likewise," Matsuda said shaking his head as he watched the one that got away walk down the stairwell carrying another man's children. He couldn't help but smile as he walked back into his apartment and gave Sayu a call. Life went on.


End file.
